


Throw Your Sorrows in the Sea

by LunaCanisLupus_22



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: BAMF Danny "Danno" Williams, Because let's face it they're always arguing, Bisexuality, Blackmail, Canon Compliant, Case Fic, Danny figures stuff out, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Feels, Friends to Lovers, Gangs, Hawaiian husbands, High Stakes, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, Lots of Arguing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Old Married Couple, Partners in love, Police corruption, Protective Steve McGarrett, Romance, Sexual Realisations, Sexual Tension, Violence, carguments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-04 17:52:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5343062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaCanisLupus_22/pseuds/LunaCanisLupus_22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’ve got to take down these kidnappers quickly and quietly without alerting them to the fact that we’re on to them,” Steve says and he’s got the determined look on his face, which <em>guarantees</em> Danny’s eventually getting shot at. Dammit.</p><p>“How many HPD officers are being blackmailed?” he asks, feeling a headache coming on.</p><p> </p><p> <br/>Or the one where Steve brings the Task Force in to work a case on a Saturday and Danny starts to realise <em>exactly</em> what Steve means to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Throw Your Sorrows in the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> This has been coming for a long while, ever since I gave watching Hawaii Five-0 a chance and saw nothing but Hawaiian Husbands being ridiculous all over Oahu. So this is basically a shot at how I imagine Steve and Danny might actually get their acts together and ACTUALLY GET TOGETHER. This is because of feelings.
> 
> Fic title is from the song [Dark Days](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8mqNm0JDW4) by Hugo
> 
> Fun fact about the author: I was in Oahu when they were filming the second episode of season one (they actually filmed the first car accident/shootout scene out the front of our hotel) and I stupidly didn't go down to have a proper look with my sister. My parents got a good photo of Alex O'Loughlin filming there and I will forever kick myself about missing out on it.
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
> 
> There's also a [playlist](http://8tracks.com/ocean-blue/throw-your-sorrows-in-the-sea) to go along with this fic if you'd like to give it a listen!

  
  
  


To be fair, Danny doesn’t mean to do it. 

If he’s being completely honest, he’s never even given it _thought_ before in order to consciously do it in the first place. It’s not that he has anything against it; he’s lived in New Jersey for Christ’s sake. Danny’s not one to judge people on who they’re attracted to. That’s not the problem. The problem is that it has nothing to do with that: what happened was an _accident._

In fact, to be more accurate, it’s all Steve’s fault. Which is not at all a surprising development considering the level of mishap and complication that is Steve McGarrett's every living action. When isn’t he in some way trying to shave years off of his life? Danny doesn’t know what he did to deserve this. Well, okay maybe he does. He definitely thinks it might be getting a lot clearer now.

But the point is that Danny _doesn’t mean to do it._

He’d barely gotten home before dark after wrapping up their newest case- Steve leapt over two moving cars in downtown Honolulu to catch their perp and Danny nearly burst a blood vessel watching him. 

So he’s barely settled into the couch, finishing off a beer and working through repressing every single questionable thing that's happened today because otherwise he'll probably be too incensed to sleep. Since Eric’s working late at the CSI lab and Gracie and Charlie are at Rachel’s this weekend (though his visits with Charlie have been short in its recentness since Rachel's only just permitted him to start seeing his own goddamn son) it takes a moment to really settle in that he’s actually got an empty apartment to himself for once. 

And since he and Amber recently called it quits- mostly from her citing the collective distance between them as too challenging to continue a functioning relationship- he’s disappointingly single. Maybe also a little confused too, since Amber definitely wasn't referring to physical distance (she still lives on the island to his knowledge) and the implication that it's an emotional distance seems laughable to him. 

Danny's almost _too_ emotional sometimes, he knows that, everyone who ever encounters him knows that, so it's a lot to wrap his head around. Although, it’s not entirely as upsetting as people might expect. Between trying not to get killed at work, recovering from a bone marrow donation and spending as much available time with his kids, Danny’s got a full slate. 

He hasn’t really had time to feel anything about their breakup much less fully process it. But Danny’s used to being alone and doesn’t mind it as much as he used to, especially when it involves relaxing with a beer on the couch, watching TV and letting his mind go blank after a long, gruelling day of work.

That’s until he realises the adrenaline of the day and all of his pent up sexual frustration from re-entering single life has finally caught up with him and he’s hard. Danny sighs and takes a final swig of his beer before putting the empty bottle onto the coffee table next to his cell phone. Tentatively, he presses the heel of his palm down onto the raised fabric of his work pants, gingerly sealing over his erection.

It’s mind-numbingly good. It’s been too long since he’s done this and Danny hisses out a sharp breath and presses down harder to create more friction. He lets out a soft groan and allows his head fall back against the couch, sinking into the pleasure of it.

That’s about what makes the decision for him. The blinds are down and the front door is locked so if he wants to jerk off on the couch, then he’s damned well going to jerk off on the couch. His dick is feeling uncomfortably confined by now so Danny carefully unbuttons his pants and pulls down the zipper. The rerun of a New York Jets game is still playing on the TV, but he pays it no mind as his fingers edge beneath his briefs and wrap around his cock.

He arches into the solid, grip of his hand and the scorching heat it offers with a strangled grunt which confirms how long it’s been since he’s last done this. It’s a shame really, that Five-0 is so demanding he can’t even make time to relieve stress anymore. Danny knows he’s not going to last long so he doesn’t bother trying to draw it out and impatiently tugs his dick free.

The sudden air on his exposed flesh exposes a shudder, but he doesn’t pause as he pulls his hand back and gets saliva on it to slicken the way. When he gets his hand wrapped around himself again, thumbing the slit and gathering pre-cum onto his hand before his first stroke, it’s entirely worth it. He’s really not going to last long. 

Danny’s tongue darts out to lick his lips as he slides his hand down, keeping his grip tight and making sure to twist his wrist just the way he likes. After so long, it’s almost painful how good it feels but he easily gets swept up in the gratification of each individual stroke. His hand starts to move faster between jerks of his wrist and Danny can sense he’s nearing the edge of the crest he’s chasing.

God, he’s close. He just needs a little extra push and he’ll be there. 

Danny tightens his hand into a fist that he can properly fuck into and jerks his hips tighter, biting his lip. He groans quietly and it’s at that exact moment that his cell phone starts ringing. His eyes slide toward it immediately, an automatic reflex as Steve’s name comes up on the screen and suddenly Danny’s thinking of nothing but the Navy SEAL Neanderthal whose mission is to personally raise his blood pressure with his stupid, grinning face.

Danny comes so hard his vision actually whites out for a second.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


So in the end, he really didn’t mean to do it. Steve is the one who called him right when he was- well. It’s not like Danny was picturing Steve on purpose (though he’s not above admitting it’s why he came so fast and so hard) and that’s-

A new development to say the least. 

Danny’s never thought of Steve like that before, not even with the amount of random people they come across who always assume they’re a couple. That’s yet another side effect of Steve’s blindingly overbearing personality always rubbing Danny the wrong way. They like to bicker, okay? It’s not their fault people jump to conclusions. They don’t mean to act like an old married couple, it’s an unstoppable natural phenomena like the Northern Lights or parking tickets: _it just happens._

It’s unexpected that’s all. Danny hadn’t thought- apparently there are a lot of things he hasn’t thought about. Namely, Steve, whenever his hand is in close proximity to his dick.

He’s definitely thinking about it now, though. 

When his cell phone still buzzes through his afterglow, Danny determinedly lets it ring out. While orgasming to the image of Steve’s face might have been an accident, talking to him on his cell while Danny sits there covered in cooling semen seems like it might be crossing a line. He needs some time to think about all of this and he’s not confident talking to Steve is such a fantastic idea until he does.

Instead, Danny sighs irritably and pads over towards his bathroom to shower. While he's in there he can’t stop thinking about it. If he climaxed to thoughts of Steve, then doesn’t that mean that somehow, miraculously, he’s become attracted to the giant idiot? Danny’s never thought much about men before let alone got his rocks off because of one, so this is definitely new territory he’s wading into. 

Maybe it’s because they’ve been spending so much time together- more time then Danny spends with anyone even Grace and Charlie, his own kids. Some kind of accidental sexual association or transference doesn’t seem so far fetched.

It makes sense. Danny’s just imprinted on Steve a little, as if that's a logical enough explanation for what just happened. Even if it isn't, Danny's sticking with it. He knows Steve’s unnaturally attractive, because he has fully functioning eyes and it’s hard to ignore the attention he draws whenever he’s kicking down a door or striding into a room. People are not looking at his gun when Steve does it, that’s for sure. 

But that doesn’t mean he’s interested in Steve sexually. It was pure chance that Steve happened to call at the exact moment Danny was relieving stress. 

Just a one off thing, he rationalises, an orgasm between friends and colleagues, nothing more. When Danny emerges from the shower wrapped in only a towel, Steve’s called again. Gritting his teeth, he calls back and tries to focus on acting normal.

“McGarrett.”

Of course. Of course Steve would still answer the phone like that when he knows, he _knows_ it’s Danny calling. It’s irrational how many times Danny has the urge to punch him in the face. No wonder they’re in therapy together.

“You better be calling for a good reason, Steve. I’m in the middle of a good thing here.”

He doesn’t admit he was in the middle of a much greater thing a few minutes earlier and how heavily Steve had featured in it. He has no idea how Steve might take that news. Considering he dangles people off of buildings on the slightest whim for a living, Danny’s thinking not well. At this point, Steve McGarrett is more animal than man and Danny has no intention of endangering himself.

“Danno relax, okay. I’m not gonna interrupt your game for long. I only called to tell you you're needed at HQ tomorrow.”

Danny immediately starts to frown. Mostly because Steve confidently knows exactly what his Friday evening consists of. Has he really become that predictable? To Steve of all people? There is something wrong with this picture.

“It’s Saturday, Steven. Tomorrow is Saturday. In the real world that means people don’t go to work to get shot at. See, these are the kind of boundaries that you just- you never cross.”

He can almost feel Steve rolling his eyes. ”You’re not getting shot at, Danny. It’s just a case I’m working on that I need help with. Besides Gracie and Charlie are at Rachel’s, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Danny agrees, surprised. “But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna waste my Saturday on you and you wanna know why, Steve? Because most people have better things to do than working on Saturday and I am like most sane people.“

Steve actually snorts as if that’s up for debate and that is not an argument he wants to be starting. Oh no. Danny can talk for hours about Steve’s questionable sanity and the numerous outrageous things he’s done, mostly because he’s witnessed nearly all of them first hand. The things he’s privy to would have a sizeable impact if he ever felt like disclosing them to someone, namely the Governor of Hawaii. 

He would never do that though, Steve’s his friend, his partner and one that somehow forced his way into every aspect of Danny’s life: he still remembers happier days when he outright hated Steve McGarrett. 

Life was simpler then. His only problem was keeping Rachel happy enough to allow him to continually see his daughter and suffer through the friendly ribbing from his fellow HPD officers for being the only haole from the mainland professional enough to wear a tie. Danny can’t believe how much his life has changed since. 

“Exactly what case is this and why don’t I already know about it?”

“C’mon, Danny,” Steve says in his Lieutenant Commander tone that allows no room for argument, but Danny’s sure as hell going to make room. “It won’t take long and we’ll go out for a beer after.”

The prospect of a free beer- most likely not free since Steve will probably forget his wallet- is not a good enough reason for Danny to sacrifice his first chance at some real R&R in a long time.

“Don’t think for one second I didn’t notice you avoid that question, Steven. What case?”

“See you tomorrow, Danno.”

“Oh no,” Danny snaps. “I am not-“

His well-framed defence is suddenly cut off by dial tone. “Steve, Steve,” he stubbornly pushes, but the uncivilised bastard has already hung up. 

What a jackass. Danny tosses his cell onto the couch and goes to fetch another beer out of the fridge with an array of colourful expletives. He’s going to need it to prepare him for tomorrow. There’s no point worrying about what happened earlier, either. What’s done is done. Danny’s going to chalk it up to an accident, just a fluke. 

He has no reason to think it’s ever going to happen again.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It happens again. Danny’s more than happy to forget about it, but apparently nothing ever happens the way he wants it to.

HQ is unsettlingly quiet this early in the morning. Chin, Kono and Grover still aren’t in yet and surprisingly, Steve- who Danny imagines awakens at the first crack of sunlight like some kind of solar powered battery, brimming with boundless GI Joe energy- is nowhere to be found. Since he’s the first one in, Danny lets himself in with his key, heads toward his office and sits down with a pained groan, bemoaning the sunlight filtering through the glass that signifies a beautiful Saturday being missed. 

There’s no point trying to figure out what case they're working on since there are no files lying around to give him any ideas and Danny hasn’t quite gotten the hang of working the main computer monitor as effectively as Kono or Chin have. Instead, he settles into the chair, pillowing his head onto his forearms and shuts his eyes.

If Steve is gonna be a slave driver, Danny’s gonna catch some rest whenever and wherever he can. 

He startles at the first scent of coffee and nearly draws his gun out when he looks up and someone’s standing in his office. It’s Steve hovering over him, arms folded exultantly and a coffee cup in his grip. He’s dressed in his typical Commander tough guy gear, dark t-shirt and cargo pants but he’s not wearing his bulletproof vest yet so maybe they won’t be getting shot at today. Although, Steve still has a gun strapped to his hip so Danny doesn’t want to rule it out. 

It’s still aggravating how silently Steve can move whenever he feels like it. All that Navy SEAL training slowly reducing Danny’s life expectancy one surprise at a time.

He narrows his eyes at Steve’s smug grin and how he’s looking as if he’s won something because Danny actually showed up. On a Saturday. To work. He better be getting paid over time for this. That's about when Danny finally notices the other cup of coffee sitting proudly on his desk in front of him and scowls at it.

“What’s this?” he asks, gesturing at it suspiciously as Steve’s grin falters.

“It’s coffee, Danno. I got you coffee.”

Danny picks it up and sniffs it with deepening mistrust. “You got me coffee?”

“Yeah, I got you coffee. What’s the big deal, Danny? You love coffee.”

There are so many things wrong with this picture that he’s not sure where to start. “Yeah, I like coffee. But, see the thing is, babe, I like buying my own coffee because I happen to be particular about the things I drink and where it comes from which, I’m sure for you, is hard to understand. And since you never pay for a damn thing I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that _you_ , Mr Cheapskate, in fact. Bought. Me. Coffee.”

Steve starts to scowl and that’s never a good indication. It’s usually the main precursor for Danny’s life being thrown into mortal danger. “Would you just drink the damn coffee, already? I try and do one nice thing for my partner and…”

“Look, I’m not denying it’s a nice thing. It’s surprising it came from you, that’s all I’m saying.”

Steve tightens his arms, bunching up all of his ridiculous muscles under his black t-shirt, which is a sure sign he’s getting offended. “I can be nice,” he insists.

“Oh, sure,” Danny agrees, full of sarcasm before he takes a cautious sip.

It’s doesn’t taste as awful as he’s expecting and judging from Steve’s expression he absolutely knows it. Danny changes the subject before Steve starts looking more self-assured than normal. He suffers enough with Steve’s ego as is, there is no reason to be inflating it further. “So this case-“

“There’s something I wanted to talk about first,” Steve interrupts, and for a brief, terrifying second Danny thinks Steve somehow knows all about what happened last night on his couch and his skin feels too tight. “I know that you spoke to Catherine.”

Oh. _That._ Danny scratches the back of his neck and tries not to feel guilty. He’d taken a risk saying all of those things to her, trying to protect Steve’s feelings. There was always the possibility that she’d tell Steve and he’d been prepared for those consequences. Maybe a little less when Steve’s standing in front of him armed with a weapon, though. It's difficult worrying about overstepping when Steve does it nearly every minute of the day.

“Look, I’m sorry if I crossed a line but you know how you get every time she leaves and I wanted Catherine to understand. We’re partners. I was just looking out for you.”

Steve doesn’t reply for a moment, taking a long, considering gulp of his coffee, but maintaining eye contact and leaving Danny to parse out just how badly this is going to go. There’s something about Steve’s expression that he’s hasn’t seen before and the unfamiliarity of it is unsettling. He likes to think he can read all of Steve McGarrett’s expressions, mostly because of self-preservation but he’s not sure what to make of this one at all.

“You’ve gone soft.” 

And then abruptly, it changes again and Steve mouth opens with a staggering smile that’s all teeth and like a kick to the gut. Danny’s trapped for a second, helplessly caught up in staring at his mouth and a smile that it hurts to look at. Warmth floods his chest, spreading quickly throughout his body and simmering under the skin.

Maybe Steve’s finally beginning to feel better since Catherine left him in her dust again. The idea fills Danny with staggering relief. Since Steve isn’t so good at being vulnerable, the idea of someone hurting him emotionally when he trusts them enough to let them in is almost criminal. He’s glad that chapter might be over and Steve is getting back to being the smug dumbass constantly filling Danny’s life with tremendous amounts of stress.

“I am anything but soft,” he affirms, but then Steve is smirking at the innuendo and Danny’s caught up in the whirlpool of _Steve_ and _sexual implications_ and staring at his _stupid mouth_ and before he can focus on something else he’s getting hard in his work pants.

Shit. Danny takes another sip of his coffee just to do something with his hands and tries not to let his face heat up. He’s glad the desk is shielding him from Steve’s observant eyes.

“Sure, buddy,” Steve agrees, grinning just as the doors to HQ open and the sound reaches them. 

“That’ll be Chin,” he says and turns to walk out of Danny’s office. 

Danny will not be following him out. At least, not until he gets his lower regions under control again. This is becoming a bad, ill-timed habit. “No Kono or Grover?” he asks, trying to distract himself from the tightness of his pants.

“Nah. I gave Kono the weekend off so she could spend some quality time with Adam since Gabriel ruined their honeymoon, and Grover’s taking his wife and kids camping at Malaekahana Beach for the weekend.”

“So I’m the only one working a Saturday shift? You gotta be kidding me.”

“Don’t forget Chin,” Steve adds helpfully as he heads out to greet him.

Danny idly listens to the sound of Chin’s voice as he greets Steve, but doesn’t get up to join them. Because he can’t yet. He stares down at his hard-on and lets the truth of it sink in. There’s no choice but to accept what’s happening. Last night wasn’t just a freak coincidence and neither was this morning, getting hard just looking at Steve’s infuriating face. 

Apparently, this is a thing that is going to keep happening.

There’s no doubting Danny is attracted to Steve. Maybe he always has been and it's just taken one mistimed orgasm to realise it. 

Danny can’t believe the injustice of it all.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Once Danny’s calmed down he heads out with his coffee to meet Chin and Steve in the main control room. Steve is drinking from his cup again and Chin has a coffee sitting atop the computer monitor but he instantly notices the branding that announces it’s from a different coffee shop. The small thrill he feels knowing Steve only brought him caffeine is entirely unwelcome.

“Howzit Danny,” Chin greets with his usual enigmatic smile. “You look cheerful.”

“I am always cheerful, babe,” Danny grumbles. “This is my natural sunny disposition.”

Steve snorts and Chin’s smile widens at the look Danny gives him. “Alright. Let’s just get started before you two happily kill each other.”

It hasn't happened yet. Danny's chalking that up to his superhuman levels of restraint. “Started on what exactly? What are we all doing here?”

Chin seems surprised. “You didn’t tell him about the case?”

Danny is really beginning to lose patience with this. What’s the big mystery about this new case they’re working on? What kind of game is Steve playing? He would really like to find out right about now. 

“Can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on? Because I would very much like to know, thank you.”

Steve hesitates only a second before he’s crowding into Danny’s space with his palms outstretched as if he’s some kind of skittish, wild animal that needs to be appeased. It irritates him to no end that Steve tilts his head slightly to look down at him.

“We’re working on a case off the books,” Steve admits. “We can’t rely on the HPD and we need to keep it quiet.”

He does not like the sound of that. Danny is definitely going to get shot at, he just knows it. “What are we keeping quiet exactly?”

“That we know multiple HPD officers are being blackmailed to destroy evidence on a number of different high priority cases.”

Danny frowns. That is definitely not good news. “Which officers? What do the blackmailers have on them?”

“We’re not sure how many of them there are yet,” Chin confesses. “But what we do know is how they’re being blackmailed.”

Chin doesn’t say anything further and Danny starts to get a bad feeling about why he and Steve are dancing around the subject. Is this because he was a detective in New Jersey Police Department and the idea of any cop not acting by the book makes his blood boil? He understands how blackmail works; Danny has no right to resent any person for yielding to it, especially if lives are at stake. 

He’s been blackmailed before and he paid the price for it, lost his brother for good. 

Danny’s not losing any more family members or friends if he can help it.

“They’re kidnapping officer’s kids, Danno,” Steve professes. “They’re threatening to kill them if they try to involve HPD or alert anyone they’re being blackmailed.”

For a second Danny hears nothing but white noise and he’s fumbling to pull his cell phone out of his pants to call Rachel and check they’re all unhurt as dread grips him. Rationally, he knows they should be safe. He hasn't worked in the HPD for years now, but that doesn't stop the panic from taking root. It's because he has something precious to protect. Danny's always had more to lose.

“Hey, hey, wait,” Steve says, hands unexpectedly resting on his shoulders to stop him. “I’ve sent someone to watch Rachel’s place. They’re fine. He’ll check in every hour to confirm they’re okay.”

Danny glances down at his cell and only once he can see that Rachel’s texted him, assuring that everyone is fine, does he allow himself to relax. But only marginally. “Who’d you send, Steve?” he demands, feeling his temper rise. “How in the hell do you know for certain that they can be trusted to protect my family?”

He knows he should be angrier that Steve’s gone behind his back and done this without telling him, but seeing as Steve does a lot of crap without Danny’s say so, it’s nothing expressly new. His particular brand of Alpha male approach is to steamroll over Danny’s opinions and that’s why he has a perfectly good car that he never gets to drive. That's not to say he doesn’t trust Steve, though. He knows he’d do anything to protect Danny’s precious monkey and the little guy. 

And he’d never let anything happen to Rachel or Stan. Just like Danny would never allow any harm to come to Mary. They've got each other's backs.

“It’s Duke,” Steve tells him. “He can be trusted. He’s the one who came to me with the Intel.”

Danny’s suspicion piques. “And how did he happen to come by this information? What? It just magically fell in his lap?”

“One of the officers being blackmailed approached him for help,” Chin explains. “Duke told her to follow the kidnapper’s instructions and not to speak to anyone else until he could get a message to Steve.”

“We’ve got to take down these kidnappers quickly and quietly without alerting them to the fact that we’re on to them,” Steve says and he’s got the determined look on his face, which _guarantees_ Danny’s eventually getting shot at. Dammit.

“How many HPD officers are being blackmailed?” he asks, feeling a headache coming on.

“We’re not sure yet,” Chin admits, swiping across the monitor and bringing up a picture of a Hawaiian woman in HPD uniform. “So far we know officer Leia Kalani’s ten year old son has been taken but from what she’s told us, she suspects she’s not the only one being blackmailed in HPD.”

It’s worse knowing what Officer Kalani looks like. Danny can actually picture how sick with worry she must be about her son and his chest tightens with sympathy. Right now he wants nothing more than to wrap Grace and Charlie in his arms just to know they’re safe. But he can’t do that right now. He’s gotta stay focused so he can help Steve and Chin get these kids back to their families and arrest these low-lives.

“Okay, so we need to figure out how many kidnappers we’re looking for and how many cop’s kids they’ve taken so far,” Danny announces. “We should look at the officers who were involved in any recent major arrests and go from there. Since those officers will be able to access the prosecuting evidence without raising suspicion and that’s exactly what the kidnappers want.”

Chin nods and starts doing exactly that. “Firstly, we should figure out how the kidnappers contacted Officer Kalani after they took her son in order to blackmail her. It might reveal an M.O and that will lead us directly to them.”

Steve’s arms are folded again which means he’s thinking. “They’ll be watching her to make sure she doesn’t contact anybody. Communicating with Kalani will be difficult.”

“Jerry might have some ideas,” Chin suggests just as Kono walks in the door.

“Kono,” Steve greets, surprised. “What are you doing here? I thought I gave you the day off.”

Kono smiles grimly. “Turns out you can’t keep me away, Boss.”

Danny knows from experience that’s not a good sign. He’s familiar with marital difficulties and happens to know exactly what the aftermath of it looks like. Hopefully, Kono and Adam have a better chance of working things out together like he and Rachel never could. Nobody comments, although he can tell Chin is concerned. He’s almost as protective of his cousin as Danny is about Grace. 

Steve doesn’t pry, but scratches at his chin intently before firmly clapping his hands together to offset the unexpected tension. “Okay then, Chin and Kono will go talk to Jerry and Danno and I will start sifting through recent HPD files to figure out which cases the kidnappers are trying to destroy evidence from.”

“Wait, how do you know Jerry’s at HQ?” Kono wonders.

Steve glances at Danny for a second and they share a long-suffering look. “Jerry’s always at HQ,” he answers dryly.

Danny watches Kono and Chin head out to find Jerry before he ducks back into his office for some privacy, already dialling Grace’s cell phone.

“Danno?”

It’s such a relief to hear her voice that he needs to sit down for a moment. “Hey monkey,” he says eventually. “How you doing, sweetheart? I’m just calling to check that everyone’s safe and you’re being careful.”

“We’re okay,” Grace promises. “Mom’s worried but Uncle Steve’s friend is sitting in his car out the front of the house.”

Danny tries not to be distracted by his daughter calling him ‘Uncle Steve’ and focuses on what Grace is saying. “Steve’s friend?”

“Yeah, Uncle Steve brought him over this morning. They spoke to Mom and Stan before Uncle Steve left.”

He can’t believe that Steve went to all this trouble and didn’t bother to involve Danny in the process. “Alright, well make sure you listen to everything Sergeant Lukela says, okay, monkey? And take care of your brother for me.”

“I promise.”

“I love you, Grace,” he says just as Steve wanders back into his office and leans up against his desk.

“Love you too, Danno,” she says and Danny quickly ends the call when he catches Steve staring at him.

“What?” Steve wonders when Danny frowns.

“See, the things is, while I appreciate your help protecting my family what I’m finding hard to understand is why you didn’t think maybe I should be involved in the process.”

“I just didn’t want to worry you, Danno,” Steve insists. “But Gracie and Charlie are safe, I made sure of it.”

He really doesn’t want to talk about Steve’s control issues or that Grace and Charlie were his first priority after he found out about the kidnappings. Danny especially doesn’t want to think about how that makes him feel because he’s sure that’s gonna get him into trouble. And he’s already got his work cut out for him.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s just get started.”

Danny pockets his cell phone and follows Steve out into the main office, preparing himself for a long day.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s lunchtime when Danny realises the problem. He’s gotten hungry and leaves to fetch his wallet from his car so it’s only when he grabs his keys to go and collect it when he notices. He’s not even out of the lobby of HQ when he spots the black SUV parked across the block and the two men watching the building and Five-O’s parked cars. He curses and ducks back out of sight before they see him, turning back towards the elevator.

Steve looks up from the monitor when he returns, raising an eyebrow at Danny’s grim expression. “Danny? What’s wrong?”

“We need to leave.”

Steve frowns, hand going to the gun at his hip as if it’s a reflex. “What’s going on?”

“We got two shady guys in a black SUV watching the building. If we’re going to figure out who’s being blackmailed we can’t do it at HQ, being here on a Saturday draws too much suspicion.”

Steve swears under his breath and pulls out his cell phone before putting it to his ear. “Hey Kono. Look the plans have changed. Tell Chin we’re under surveillance at HQ so what I need is for everyone to go home, act normal and call if you spot any black SUV’s in the neighbourhood.” 

He goes quiet for a moment and Danny can hear Kono’s voice across the line as she responds. “Okay, that’s great Kono. You and Chin, take Jer back to his place and help him set up the contact. I’ll take Danny back to my place and we’ll look over HPD files there.”

Danny loses all train of thought at Steve telling Kono he’ll take him to the McGarrett house. He’s so used to Steve’s controlling behaviour that it doesn’t even blip on his irritation radar, but his brain immediately dives into the gutter instead. He doesn’t understand why this keeps happening; he’s not sexually frustrated and there’s no real reason for him to be so unexpectedly aroused by a throwaway sentence. 

And yet, he is anyway. Danny suspects he might be losing his mind.

“Alright, keep me posted.”

He hangs up and Danny gives him an expectant look.

“Jer thinks he has a way of contacting Kalani and the other HPD officer’s being blackmailed without alerting the kidnappers. Chin and Kono are helping him and once we figure out who else is being blackmailed we’ll be able to contact them too.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan. You got food at your place or you want me to stop at Kamekona’s first?”

“I got food, man,” Steve promises. “You leave first. I’ll follow you.”

“If I get shot at, I’m gonna be pissed.”

“You’re not gonna get shot. They’re just watching us to make sure we’re not involved in what’s going on in HPD.”

“You better be right, Steven. Or I’m gonna come back and I’m gonna kill you.”

“Fair enough.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Danny leaves first and doesn’t look over at the SUV as he drives out of HQ parking lot, Steve following close behind.

He’s watching in the revision mirror for the SUV so he sees it when it pulls out after them. He knows Steve has already noticed the tail and has to fight the urge to speed up and try to lose them in traffic. When he pulls into the McGarrett house’s driveway, it’s with a false sense of relief because he knows the SUV isn’t far behind.

Danny doesn’t wait for Steve. He parks out front and walks up to Steve's front door, jingling keys in hand. He’s flicking through his set, key already slotting into door before his brain catches up with what he’s doing.

He pauses, staring down at the key to Steve’s place he’s got sitting on his key chain as if he’s seeing it for the first time. Jesus. No wonder people ask if he and Steve are more than partners. He has keys to Steve’s house. Steve puts Danny’s family first and protects them like they’re his own. They’ve been vulnerable around each other, in a way that Danny knows Steve’s never been around anyone else before.

What has Danny been doing? How did he allow this kind of intimacy to grow without realising what it meant? Not to mention the emotional connection, Steve trusts him implicitly and Danny knows he doesn’t trust anyone, not even his own mother. 

For a moment Danny's lost in his own revelation. He can’t believe he’s gotten so deeply invested in a relationship without understanding the significance of it. In some ways he and Steve have been more intimate and connected than he and Rachel ever were and that’s even without anything sexual between them.

Until recently.

“Danno?” Steve calls and he’s close, voice firm but quiet as he comes up behind him, unwavering heat at his back. “Everything alright?”

Danny needs to swallow first before he can speak. Steve is close enough that he can feel him breathe and the sensation is doing something to him. “Yeah. I just- got distracted.”

He finally unlocks the door and leads Steve inside. Danny knows he’s on edge because Steve pushes ahead of Danny, hand on his shoulder as he moves past to case the room for intruders, gun out and safety off. 

Once he’s satisfied and Danny’s already shut the front door, he heads into the kitchen. Danny leaves him to whatever he’s doing and grabs Steve’s laptop from the office in order to get to work. Jerry personally applied the security system to it so Danny doesn’t have to worry about the kidnappers being aware they’re browsing the HPD’s system.

When Steve re-emerges it’s to set down two sandwiches on the coffee table and two mugs. Danny accepts the food with some surprise, but decides it’s better not to comment. “SUV still out the front?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s get to work.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next thing Danny knows is he’s waking up to near complete darkness with only the softest glow from the laptop on sleep-mode illuminating the room and his head pillowed on something warm and breathing. Steve’s shoulder, his brain supplies and for a moment Danny’s confused as to what it was that woke him. 

They’d been reading HPD files all afternoon and well into the night and must’ve fallen asleep. His knee is throbbing and his back hurts from resting on an uncomfortable couch for several hours.

“Danny?” Steve murmurs sleepily, and that’s probably why he woke up in the first place, because Steve did. He shifts a little to alleviate the tension in his leg and Steve’s warm hand comes down tentatively over the tender area. “How’s your knee?”

That brings Danny into alertness a whole lot quicker. He doesn’t push Steve away though; they’re already slotted up closely together, exchanging body heat and apparently Danny just likes to suffer. “’S Fine,” he groans, yawning. “What times it?”

“0300.”

“Jesus,” he groans again. “Just say 3am, Steve. Don’t torture me.”

“Fine, Danno,” Steve mutters. “It’s 3am.”

Danny groans louder.

“C’mon,” Steve says, patting Danny gently as he gets up. “We need to sleep. Otherwise we’ll never be able to help those families.”

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight,” he grumbles, shifting around to get comfortable now that Steve’s moved away.

“Come on,” Steve encourages, seizing him under the arm and lifting him up until he’s standing. “Sleep in my bed. I know that couch isn’t good for your back.”

Danny’s still half asleep so he doesn’t protest as much when Steve almost bodily drags him upstairs, loosening up the tension in his knee in each step. “Wait. Where are you gonna sleep?”

“In my bed,” Steve replies as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world. Danny nearly trips over himself.

“You want us to sleep in the same bed. That’s your brilliant plan?”

“You want the couch?”

“See, normally I would argue but I’m too tired. Do you understand what I’m saying? You win, Steven. You finally broke me.”

“Don’t worry,” Steve promises. “Few hours sleep and you’ll be back to your usual hot-headed self.”

“I resent that.”

“Of course you do,” Steve replies and of course, of _course_ he sounds unmistakeably fond when he does.

Danny does not allow himself to think much more on that and let’s Steve deposit him on the bed instead. Since he took off his shoes hours ago Danny sleepily unbuttons his shirt first, removes it and pulls back the covers. Steve is already shirtless, but Danny pointedly doesn’t look at him as he removes his work pants, leaving him in nothing but briefs as he slides in and rolls onto his side, putting his back to the half naked Navy SEAL sharing the same space.

This is not a good situation for him to be in right now, but Danny’s too tired to think properly. “My-“

“Cell phone is on the bedside table,” Steve finishes as if he’s plucked the thought from his brain. “Duke checked in a few minutes ago. Everyone is fine.”

He doesn’t even have the energy to feel concerned that Steve knows exactly what he’s thinking. That’s much too telling. Instead of thanking Steve, Danny lets out a long-suffering, intelligible groan that accurately sums up how terrible this entire situation is. Steve smacks him with a pillow.

Danny can’t believe he’s had the self-control to punch Steve in the face only once. Someone should give him a medal.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When Danny wakes up the next morning his first immediate thought is to make sure he and Steve haven’t fit their bodies up against each other like people with unresolved feelings always tend to do in romantic comedies. Thankfully, Danny’s kept to himself on his side of the bed and for a second he’s eternally grateful that he didn’t subconsciously act out any part of his internal dilemma in the form of his morning wood pressing up against his partner. 

Steve surprisingly, is not only _not_ awake before Danny (which shatters any illusions he had about sunrise wake up calls and morning drills) but has actually shifted closer in the few hours sleep they’ve had. He’s flat on his back, spread out in the centre of the bed, taking up as much space as possible which is on the typical-Steve side and Danny’s frowning at him considerably before he gets a good look at Steve’s face. 

His open, relaxed expression, the sleep mussed hair and the soft swells of his chest as he breathes and the very clear fact that Danny isn’t the only one with a morning erection. Oh, Jesus. Danny can’t believe how ridiculous Steve looks and he knows, he _knows_ what that dryness in his throat, the rapid beats of his heart and the swirling in his stomach means. Steve is attractive, not just grudgingly handsome but appealing, appealing specifically to Danny. He licks his lips unconsciously.

Fuck.

Danny wants to kiss him.

Steve’s eyes open into immediate alertness without any other form of noticeable movement as if he’s always been awake and the sight is so disturbing that Danny flinches away with a curse. “What are you doing?” 

“What the hell are _you_ doing? You trying to traumatise me or something? That is not how a normal person wakes up,” Danny irritably insists as he climbs out of Steve’s bed and beelines for the bathroom.

He empties his bladder quickly, careful not to excite himself any further with Steve just outside of the door. After he’s washes his hand in the basin, he uses Steve’s spare toothbrush, which is basically, just a toothbrush Danny left there for these kinds of cases to clean his teeth. He tries not to notice how bare the cabinets seem now that most of Catherine’s stuff is gone, Steve is private enough already without Danny using his cop instincts on him.

When he comes out Steve is already gone, but Danny can hear him making noise downstairs and knows it’s intentionally done since Steve’s trained to sneak up on just about anyone. Danny calls Grace to check in, speaks briefly with Rachel who assures him everyone is alright even if she sounds stressed before she puts Charlie on the line. It’s sad that it takes situations like this to make Rachel more cooperative, but Danny will take what he can get. 

He calls Duke afterwards and asks him a few questions about the HPD precinct, whether any interesting characters have come into the bull pen lately. He thinks Duke’s answers might be worth checking into, especially if they’re working towards a lead they can use. There’s a message from Eric telling him there’s been an SUV sitting outside his apartment all night and Danny sighs before replying and telling him not to approach the car. Whether or not Eric will listen to him is another problem altogether. 

Danny’s got too much on his plate to deal with his handful of a nephew at the moment. Firstly, putting on pants. Steve’s laid out some spare clothes for him on the remade bed (which Steve did, sheets tucked in tight like he's expecting a Navy Officer to inspect it) and Danny scowls at the bed and the pants for a while before he decides getting back into his work pants and shirt isn’t worth it. 

He tugs on the US Navy shirt Steve pointedly left out for him- one of many he suspects, because of course Steve still has a million of these lying around since he’s still in Reserves- and Danny thanks all of the higher powers that Steve wasn’t stupid enough to leave out cargo pants as well. 

If that was the case he might have tried to strangle Steve with them. Danny pulls on the shorts and eyes them suspiciously when they seem to fit perfectly. He knows he and Steve aren’t they same size and wonders if this is yet another detail Steve’s remembered from digging into Danny’s personal file and past before he made them partners. The thought that Steve has been extra thorough is not at all comforting.

Once he’s dressed and borrowed some of Steve’s deodorant to freshen up a bit, he heads downstairs to find the handful of a Navy SEAL. He’s in the middle of cooking breakfast and slides a mug full of coffee toward Danny in the form of a greeting which he’s too exhausted to complain about since the kitchen clock tells him they only had four hours sleep.

He grumbles out something incoherent and drowns the sound in his first dose of caffeine as he opens the cutlery draw, getting out knives and forks as he begins to set the dining table. Danny sets his coffee down and gets salt and pepper from Steve’s spice rack before taking a seat at the table. Steve finishes soon after, turning off the stove as he artfully transfers the eggs and bacon from the pan and onto two plates already filled with toast, mushrooms and tomatoes.

When he sets one down in front of Danny and one at the space beside him, he pauses. Danny turns to see what the hell he’s doing and seems to interrupt him right in the middle of leaning in close and inhaling.

“Are you sniffing me, you animal?” Danny demands, nearly upending his mug of hot coffee in surprise.

Steve gives him a flat look, but ignores the comment. “Are you wearing my deodorant?”

Oh. Danny relaxes in his chair. “Yeah. I used whatever was in your bathroom.”

Steve’s body tenses and when he pulls out his chair to sit down next to him, his grip is tight enough to reveal the whiteness of bone in his fingers. Danny’s shocked for a moment, thinking maybe Steve’s about to go on a personal hygiene rant for once in his life, but then he changes the subject altogether.

“Everyone doing okay at Rachel’s? Duke checked in?”

“Yeah,” Danny says, picking up his knife and fork and getting ready to dig into his food. Steve passes him the butter before he can even ask for it and Danny stares at it for a minute abruptly remembering Steve’s habit of putting butter in his coffee. He picks up his own mug and glares at it distrustfully.

“You didn’t put-“

“No,” Steve replies, way too innocently.

“You’re disgusting,” Danny retorts, but he’s too hungry and in need of caffeine to argue or make a new one and starts buttering his toast instead.

They eat quietly for a few minutes and Danny will never admit it to Steve’s face, but he’s actually an incredible cook- which he definitely didn't pick up in the Navy- and breakfast tastes unbelievable. The butter coffee isn’t even that bad, either. He’ll start worrying about his cholesterol after they’ve caught the kidnappers.

“So I spoke to Duke,” Danny says once he’s finished and back to just sipping his coffee. “He gave me a few ideas on who’s behind this and who the officers they’re targeting might be.”

“There are four high profile cases going to trial this week. It could be any of the officers involved in them.”

“But only three of the cases have ties with MS-13.”

“Mara Salvatrucha?” Steve wonders. “You’re saying that mainland gangs are infiltrating Hawaii?”

“Yeah. HPD arrested several foreign nationals causing trouble in multiple nightclubs and a small amount of them were from the 18th street gang in L.A. The other perp’s ties to rival gang MS-13 surfaced after they were processing them. That’s why the kidnappers want to destroy evidence in their cases.”

Steve grins at him and Danny hates that right now he’s internally patting himself on the back for making Danny his partner in the first place. Steve shouldn't be so smug, Danny's not the only Detective in Oahu with good instincts. 

“Jerry’s set up a way to contact Officer Kalani through the mail that won’t alert the kidnappers. We should be able to question her soon. Chin and Kono are gonna keep us posted.”

“Okay, great. I’m starting to think there are only three kids that have been taken. This is a gang of seasoned traffickers who know what they’re doing; minimal kids create minimal problems so they’ve probably targeted the officers with one-child families involved in the MS member's cases. That’ll narrow down the search.”

Steve hums in agreement and stands up to fetch his laptop. When he comes back, he’s reading the screen and frowning. “Alright, so looks like we’re dealing with Guillermo Escobar, Danilo Alvarado and Basilio Rivera all going to trial for their crimes as members in MS-13: homicide, human smuggling and drug trafficking. They’re not top tier members but they’re worth enough that the gang is making efforts to protect them.”

Danny thoughtfully takes a sip of coffee and struggles to figure out how that’s going to help them find these kids. Steve sets the laptop onto the table and points to the screen showing six shots of HPD officers including Kalani.

“These are the HPD officers involved in the gang members cases,” Steve says. “If you’re theory is right not all of them are being blackmailed, we just need to find the three.”

Danny reads their personal information quickly. “Ah, okay. It’s not Officer Kapule- she’s divorced and her daughter lives on Maui so that rules her out. Uh, Officer Iona is on injury leave for a broken leg and won’t be back until next month so it's not him either. That just leaves four possible Officers being blackmailed.”

Steve’s already got his cell phone out, dialling the rest of the team. “Hey, Kono. The kidnappings are gang related. We’ve got four possible officers here including Kalani, get Jerry to contact all of them to see if they’re being blackmailed by MS-13. The names are Officer Rodriguez, Hekekia and Palakiko, I’ll send Chin their personal information.”

He’s quiet for a moment, listening and Danny hopes Kalani responded in time for them to get some idea of where the gang members might be holding these kids. Steve’s jaw tightens and he looks pissed which tells him he doesn’t like what he’s hearing at all. “Alright. Thanks, Kono. Danny and I are going to lose our tail and head on over to the member houses in HPD custody, see if we can find some evidence that can give us a location on these kids. Keep us posted on those other Officers.”

He hangs up and Danny doesn’t like his grim expression. “Kalani responded. Three men came in the middle of the night on Thursday and took her son, Makoa and left a burner phone for her to contact them once the evidence has been destroyed. There are two men sitting outside her house in an SUV and they’ve said there’s a mole in HPD watching her every move so they’ll kill him if she tries to warn anyone.' 

Steve sounds particularly offended by that part. "It was pure luck Duke found out she’s being blackmailed. Her car broke down and he drove her home from the HPD on Friday. She has until Monday night at 1800 before Alvarado goes to trial on Tuesday to send them proof the evidence has been destroyed and only then will they leave Makoa in an undisclosed location, unharmed. Otherwise, they kill him.”

“Are we assuming the situation is the same for the officers on Rivera and Escobar’s cases?”

“Their trial's are on Tuesday as well so I’ll bet the deadline is the same for all of the Officers. C’mon, we need to move it. We’ve got less than 48 hours to find these kids and prevent three gang members from making it back onto our streets.”

Danny drains the rest of his mug and goes to fetch his gun. “I just know I’m gonna get shot at,” he grumbles, but follows Steve outside anyway. He’s an idiot like that. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Steve loses the SUV in less than five minutes of heart racing, dangerous driving- in Danny’s Camaro no less- which leaves him clutching the frame of the door to prevent being thrown around while Steve appears mightily pleased with himself. He doesn’t even seem sorry, Danny’s gonna ream him about this level of recklessness later when the lives of three children are no longer hanging in the balance.

“I hate you,” he promises, but even he knows he’s lying.

They hit Rivera’s place first because it’s the furthest from Waikiki and since Steve drives like a maniac the forty-five minute drive is nearly halved. He parks them a street away so they can break in through the back of his house without drawing any attention. The place has already been tossed by HPD, but they’re not interested in whatever drugs and firearms the officers have already bagged and tagged. What they’re searching for is some kind of indication of where the rest of the lower MS members might be holding the kids as potential collateral.

They case the joint quickly and separately to maximise the search effort, but both of them come up with nothing. Steve all but storms out of the place, leaving it untouched as he heads back towards Danny’s car, moving with a kind of furious purpose that he knows is dangerous.

Escobar lives in a run down apartment in Wai’anae on the leeward coast and Steve drives them to his address next in a criminally short amount of time. Steve’s all for subtlety, but Danny very quickly figures out nobody cares what they’re doing so they walk straight in. Steve’s about to kick the door down like always before Danny intuitively pushes it open, revealing it’s unlocked and draws his H&K P30 pistol first before stepping inside.

Escobar’s apartment is the same as Rivera’s; already once overed by the HPD and offering no particularly significant evidence which might suggest another location under their payroll. Danny resists the urge to kick something as he follows Steve outside and starts to feel some of the irrational frustration Steve is emitting. 

They head back toward Honolulu past Kahala and toward Alvarado’s complex. His home is in one of the richest neighbourhoods, Āina Haina, and Danny has a good feeling about searching this place. 

A nice home like his suggests money which can only mean he’s a more significant gang member than his fellow brothers awaiting trial. Danny really hopes it’s that simple.

It’s not. Alvarado’s complex is harder to access because the security in the area is tighter, not to mention there’s another black SUV parked across the road. Steve leads him toward the back of the apartment and boosts him over the wall’s perimeter. It’s still early morning so there’s no one around to watch Steve as he all but vaults impressively over the wall after him. Danny has to resist the urge to sigh and raises his hands in irritation instead.

Steve’s too wrapped up in Navy SEAL mode to notice. The door's locked this time and Steve doesn’t wait for an alternative, furiously kicking down the door.

“What the hell? Someone would’ve heard that," Danny hisses sharply. "What happened to not drawing attention?”

“We’ll move fast,” he grunts out and Danny knows that the approaching deadline is affecting his sense of urgency. There’s no point arguing, it’s just going to waste precious time so Danny follows him in without a word, gritting his teeth.

They go from room to room in a separate continuous search that Danny knows he wouldn’t be able to do as efficiently with anyone else. It’s always a little startling how in-tune they are when they’re working a case- he’s seen the looks it gets them. Danny’s moves fast and doesn’t let himself get distracted before meeting up with Steve in Alvarado’s living room. 

Danny found some bank statements underneath a loose floorboard and Steve’s holding a scrap of paper determinedly with an expectant sort of triumph. Danny tries to hide his relief that they might actually have a proper lead now. “Let’s go,” Steve commands and his expression is tight and unrelenting. 

“Hold up a sec,” Danny hesitates, using his hand to physically stop him. “Look, I know how high the stakes are here and I can’t believe I actually have to say this, but you need to calm down.”

Steve seems to appreciate the irony of it. “ _I_ need to calm down?”

Danny’s not an idiot. He knows who has the short fuse in this partnership and it’s definitely not Steve. “Yes. You need to calm down before you get some of us killed. You’re getting too agitated about this which seems strange to me because I’m the one with kids who could potentially be in danger so-“

In the next second Steve’s pushing hard at Danny’s chest and he’s startled, thinking about backing off before Steve is tackling him to the ground. Danny goes down hard, protests drying up when gunfire explodes above them where he was standing seconds before and Steve is goddamn _heavy._

“Yeah, we didn’t draw attention at all,” Danny yells sarcastically in Steve’s ear over the deafening sounds.

Steve is warm and feels unfairly good on top of him, but he rolls away, drawing out his piece in one fluid motion. But Danny catches at his wrist to prevent him from using it. “Returning fire is what I would classify as attention, Steven.”

Steve’s starting to look angry which is as unsurprising as the rising sun. “Then what do you suggest, Danny? We sit here and wait for them to kill us?”

Danny rolls his eyes and starts crawling out of the living room, making sure to stuff the evidence into the waistband of his pants so he won’t lose it. He’s pleased when Steve figures out what he’s planning, curses creatively and swiftly follows. They army crawl towards the bathroom and reach its window which looks down onto an alleyway and Danny hastily tugs it open. The gunfire has stopped which suggests they don’t have much time before the shooters come in to inspect the damage and look for bodies. 

Steve’s right behind him, pressing up tight against his back in the small space and Danny helpfully gestures to the window big enough for them both to fit through with only some minor manoeuvring. “After you, babe.”

But Steve peers back into the hallway instead like he’d enjoy nothing more than going back to meet those gang members and take them out. They really don't have time for that right now. Danny gestures more emphatically at their escape route. When Steve holsters his gun, Danny knows the danger of Steve’s reckless anger has passed.

They move quickly, and Steve goes first landing fairly easily from the second storey jump, keeping low and inspecting the area for any other shooters. Danny suspects he’s not going to be so lucky, but climbs out onto the sill and plans to lower himself as far as possible to minimise the force of impact. He’s sitting on the edge when someone sprints past the opened doorway and jerks back once they spot him. 

He and Danny stare at one another for a split second and when he moves to raise his gun, Danny jumps.

When he lands, the instant throb of pain tells him it’s bad, but in the next second Steve’s wrapping an arm around him and guiding him backward so that his other leg takes the brunt of the fall and not his bad knee. He still grunts in pain, but it’s not as damaging as it could’ve been and he’s grateful for that. 

“Thanks,” he says. “We gotta move. I was spotted.”

Steve quickly steers them back toward Danny’s car, not allowing a moment to recover, half supporting Danny so he’s not applying pressure on his knee. The sound of rapid gunfire tells them the perp isn’t far behind them.

When Steve tries to help him into the car Danny waves him off with a scowl and manages it himself as Steve darts toward the driver’s door. There’s the distant sound of approaching sirens which announce someone called in the shootout, but Steve’s pulling away from the curb before they have the risk of being discovered at the scene. They still don’t know who the HPD informant is that’s been reporting the blackmailed officers every move to the MS so it’s safer not to be there when they arrive.

It's only after they're five minutes away from Āina Haina that Steve's cell phone starts to ring and he fumbles to get his hands on it whilst driving. Danny snatches it out of his grip before he can answer it and signals for Steve to watch the road when he looks like he’s going to try and steal it back. The caller ID says it’s Chin.

“Steve’s phone,” Danny says. “What’s going on Chin?”

“Oh, hey Danny,” Chin says recovering his confusion. “Jerry’s way of contacting the other officers worked. You were right. Only three of them are being blackmailed by the MS. Officer Rodriguez and Hekekia’s children’s kidnappings had the exact M.O as Kalani and they have the same deadline before the trials on Tuesday.”

“Alright, that’s good work. Tell Jerry thanks. Where are you and Kono now?”

“We’re still at Jerry’s place. Lost the tails a few hours ago and they haven’t resurfaced.”

“Probably because they’ve been guarding Alvarado’s place,“ Danny muses. “Alright. Stay put. We think we might have a few leads on the kid’s location so we’ll come to you.”

“Sure, Danny. See you soon.”

He hangs up and gives Steve back his cell. “Head toward Jerry’s house.”

Steve nods and quickly changes lanes. “What was that scrap of paper you had?” Danny wonders, checking his cell phone. Duke’s messaged him with his hourly update and everything seems okay. He really wants to end this, send those kids back to their parents and hope his own kids feel safe in their home again.

“Phone number I think and a coded message,” he replies. “What’d you find? Bank statements?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” Steve announces, but the tension slips out of him a little and Danny tries to figure out what the hell is going on is his head right now. It’s probably better that he doesn’t know though. Danny’s not up for sharing at the moment either.

Not until he figures everything out.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Steve parks Danny’s car two streets away from Jerry’s house just to be safe and Danny uses the walk to stretch out the tension in his muscles. Steve might be used to jumping from second storey windows and vaulting over cars but Danny certainly is not.

His knee loosens up a bit and he tries not to think of how much worse it could’ve been without Steve there. How much worse a lot of things are without Steve. Jesus, they’re emotionally dependant aren’t they? How in the hell did Danny never notice this? No self-respecting Detective worth their salt would have missed it, how significantly intimate their partnership is. Danny should resign.

Kono greets them at the door but only because she’s on her cell in the middle of a phone call and left Jerry’s basement for some privacy. She smiles grimly and gestures she’ll be down in a minute but she still glances down at Danny and mouths ‘nice shirt’. Danny opens his mouth to protest openly and loudly, but Steve nods and claps him on the shoulder, directing him out of her way. He’s used to these kind of casual touches by now but the thrill of heat it stirs in his gut is new and Danny needs a breath to recover. 

There's plenty of time to insult Steve's wardrobe later.

Jerry’s pouring over a table scattered with paper when they get down there, Chin standing at his side, arms crossed in silent bewilderment at the long winded explanation that Jerry’s in the middle of. He trails off when he spots Steve and Danny heading towards him. “I just received communication from Hekekia. The gang knows Five-0 is involved and they’re threatening to kill the kids right now if the evidence isn’t destroyed by midnight tonight.”

Danny curses as Steve goes completely still in that non-human way he processes high stakes and intense pressure, and the news their deadline just lost a day is not welcome at all. 

They’re running out of time.

“We’ve got some kind of coded message that might lead us to the officer’s children and some statements which might have transactions linking the gang members with a location,” Steve replies, calm as always and Danny wants to punch him again.

He was definitely not calm at Alvarado’s complex. Without another word Steve withdraws the scrap of paper, just as Kono’s coming down the staircase and sets it on Jerry’s workbench. Jerry automatically reaches for paper and a pencil before he starts inspecting the message in order to decipher it. Steve steps back into Danny’s space and puts an arm around his waist, lifting up the edge of his shirt as he reaches across to pull out the paperwork Danny stuffed in there for safekeeping.

His fingers graze against bare skin as he gets his hands on the evidence and Danny’s startled by the lack of reaction it brings to the crowded room. Like the task force is used to it and Danny’s the only one finally getting with the program. Jesus. Steve doesn’t look up from the statements as he starts to read and Danny steps closer to Jerry to inspect the scrap of paper. 

It’s a mess of numbers and letters, definitely coded, but it doesn’t seem impossible to break. The first part definitely seems like it could be a cell number. But Danny's not that confident. He highly doubts MS members leave important cell phone numbers just lying around for Five-0 to find.

“Alvarado owns a storage space in downtown Honolulu a street away from Aloha Tower and a sugar mill that closed in ‘96,” Steve announces, finally looking up from the papers.

“That’s the one at the base of the Wai’anae Mountains, Steve,” Kono points out.

“The one in Waialua?”

“Yeah,” Chin agrees. “Ran out of business in ‘96. Last sugar mill to close in Oahu. That part of the North Shore is just Industrial Park now.”

“They could be holding holding the kids at either of those locations,” Danny guesses. “My guess is the abandoned factory. More room and less conspicuous than a storage place.”

“The number is for a private line at Matson’s shipping company," Jerry announces, so apparently MS _are_ that stupid. At least, that makes Danny's job easier. "The numbers and letters are individual identifications for different freight containers.”

“Human trafficking,” he guesses. “Those are the shipping containers they’ll be transporting them into Oahu in.”  


“Okay, we can’t inform HPD until we’ve isolated the officer on MS-13's payroll and prevented him from warning the remaining gang members that we know of the coming shipment. Let’s inspect the storage space first, maybe it’ll have evidence incriminating this informant in the HPD.”

“I’ll take Kono,” Chin proposes. “We’ll gear up and meet you there.”

“I’ll take Danny,” Steve replies which sounds ridiculous since he’s driving Danny’s goddamn car. “Be careful. We don’t know how many of MS are staking out the place. You could be walking into a firefight.” 

“I’ll just stay here,” Jerry offers with a strangled cough. 

Steve pats him helpfully on the back. “Thanks buddy.” 

Everyone files out after that. It’s time they finish this.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The first thing they realise when they head back to HQ to gear up is that someone is already inside. Steve notices the unlocked doors first and draws his gun, signalling to Danny who's already moving to cover Steve’s back. There’s someone rifling through Grover’s office and they both quietly edge towards them, keeping low and out of sight while they approach from different sides. 

Steve signals he’ll go first and all but dives into the room, voice soft but commanding as he orders them to drop their weapon. Grover drops his cell phone in surprise and Danny sighs out his frustration and holsters his weapon again. “Jesus, Grover. What are you doing here? You realise we were about to shoot you.” 

“I can see that,” Grover replies with his usual dryness. “We came back from camping earlier than expected. Don’t ask.” 

Danny can't help but raise an eyebrow but Grover soon picks up on the tension and frowns. “What’s going on?” 

Steve fills him in while Danny heads towards his office to fetch the spare clothes he leaves there for Steve-involved emergencies. There’s no way he’s storming a hostage situation in an army shirt, shorts and flip flops. When he’s dressed, geared up with a bulletproof vest and armed to the teeth, he heads back out to meet them again. By then Steve’s geared up too and Grover’s nowhere in sight which tells him he’s gone to change as well. 

There’s no way he wouldn’t be involved in this and Steve informs him as much and that the plan is to meet them at the storage facility when they start heading back to Danny’s car. 

Duke calls for his hourly check in as Danny’s walking towards the passenger side. “Hey, Duke,” he greets. “Anything happening?” 

“Nah, Detective Williams everything’s…” he hesitates for a second. “Huh.” 

“What?” 

“A black SUV just pulled up behind me,” Duke distractedly explains and Danny’s blood turns to ice. “I think it’s-“ 

A gunshot blasts through the speaker and Duke cries out. Steve instantly stops walking and turns to stare at him in concern but Danny barely notices. “Duke! Duke!” he's yelling, but can’t hear anything beyond screeching tyres. Oh God. Anything but this. Please. 

He doesn’t pause, half out of his mind with terror as he snatches his keys from Steve's hand and sprints toward his car, partner in tow. Danny doesn’t even wait for Steve to close his door before he’s blazing out of the parking lot, engine rumbling furiously. “Danny! What’s going on?” 

“They’re at Rachel’s house,” he yells, nearly hitting the car in the opposite lane which honks it’s displeasure. “They’re after my kids. I’m an idiot. The guy _saw my face_ of course they’d go after my family to distract us.” 

Steve’s already calling Kono and telling her not to wait for them, but Danny’s only half paying attention over the deafening sounds of his beating heart. He runs several red lights, nearly hits a cyclist and doesn’t remotely think about slowing down. He’s breaking the law, but the mantra of 'immunity and means' and the faces of his kids keeps his foot pressed on the pedal. 

The black SUV is still there when they pull up and Steve darts toward Sergeant Lukela first who's collapsed in the driver's seat of his non-descript car, gun withdrawn. “He’s still alive,” Steve calls out, already getting his cell out to call in the EMT's. 

There's no time to feel relieved, not when Danny's staring up at Rachel's house, the metal gate's smashed in like the SUV has driven through them. Danny doesn’t pause, extracting his gun and bolting up the driveway. The front door is forced open as he moves steadily into the house and he can hear a lot of yelling and the sounds of struggle. 

That’s good. That means everyone’s alive. He peers quietly around the corner and into the living room where there are three men attempting to break in a door. Rachel’s master bedroom door where she and Stan undoubtedly thought to barricade themselves in. The men are armed, weapons drawn and ready to use them. 

Danny can’t breathe, but he still finds his voice. “Move away from the door,” he commands and the fury in his voice is frightening even to him. "And drop your weapons." 

The man on the left spins, finger pulling the trigger, but Danny shoots him in the chest before he can aim and he goes down with wide eyes and mouth slackened in shock. The other two are more careful. They turn slowly, but don’t drop their weapons and Danny recognises the man from Alvarado’s place on the right as he sneers at him. They spread out slowly away from each other, assuming Danny can’t cover them both and they’re right, he can’t. 

That’s about when Steve comes crashing through the dining room window. 

The glass bursts out everywhere as Steve comes out of the roll and fires his gun at the closest man. He collapses onto the table with a resounding crash as the man who saw Danny tries to shoot him in the chaos. He doesn’t live to see the result. Danny releases a choked up gasp once he’s certain the threat is gone and inhales unevenly, raking his hands through his hair, which has gone wild in interim. They silently observe the damage, neither of them speaking before Danny strides over toward Rachel’s door, stumbling enough through his panic that he can barely walk. 

“Rachel?” he calls desperately through the wood. “Is everyone alright?” 

“Danny?” Rachel cries and she sounds terrified. “Oh, thank God. They- they just smashed their way through the front door after we heard the gun shots. Your officer friend-“ 

The door starts to open, but Danny puts his hand on the edge to prevent it. “Don’t. I don’t want the kids to see this. Are they okay?” 

“Danno!” Grace cries and he can’t help himself, he’s already squeezing through the gap in the door to see for himself. It's his _kids,_ Danny's always going to be there for them no matter what. 

They're a frightful sight. Rachel and Stan are pale and Charlie’s crying in her arms. Gracie runs towards him and he hugs her in relief. Her arms are tighter around him than usual and the shaking tells him she’s going into shock. This is the last thing he wanted. 

“I’m so sorry that happened, monkey,” he whispers, keeping his voice low and calming. “Are you alright?” 

“I was so scared, Danno,” she says and he holds her tighter while he inspects everyone else. They’re more or less okay, just shocked and terrified by what happened. He’s so glad that’s their only problem right now. If he'd been too late- 

“Danny,” Steve says through the door. “The HPD will be here soon since I called the EMT's.” 

The insinuation is clear enough. They need to go. There’s still a mole in the HPD to worry about. 

“Uncle Steve?” Grace calls out and the expression on her face tells Danny that she wants Steve in the room as well. His overwhelming, tough guy Navy hero presence is definitely comforting to a young kid, but Danny’s still surprised at the effect he has. Grace is normally shy with her affection, even to Danny and the thought that she wants Steve nearby is enough to make his throat dry with emotion. 

“Yeah, Gracie. You okay in there?” 

“We’re alright,” she promises and her voice is evening out like talking to Steve is calming her down. “Are you okay?” 

Danny's never been more impressed with his own daughter's caring heart. Of course she'd want to make sure everyone else is fine after she's been attacked, she's an amazing kid. Even if she's not much of a kid anymore. He'd like to think it's because of how they've raised her, but really it's all Grace. He's never felt more proud. 

“All fine out here,” Steve responds easily and Danny winces and tries not to picture the three dead men lying in various positions across the dining room. Rachel will probably want to move again. He also doesn't spare a thought that their deaths might have possibly been avoided if he and Steve had tried. He doesn't care. Anyone who attacks his kids, doesn't deserve to live. At least he and Steve agree on that. 

“You need to leave,” he tells Rachel and Stan. “Take Grace and Charlie out of the house. Take them to my place if you need somewhere to go. You can give your statements later.” 

“We were about to go out the window,” Stan says, gesturing unsteadily at it, sounding deeply unsettled and Danny feels terrible that he brought this all down on them. They didn't deserve this. No one does. 

“Great,” he agrees quickly. “Call me once you're there so I know everyone’s safe.” 

He moves close to rub at Charlie’s back and his sobs seem to quieten down a little. Danny wishes he could stay longer to comfort them all, even step-Stan but he's gotta make sure Steve doesn't get himself killed getting those kids home. Gracie only holds onto him tighter as if she doesn’t want to let go. “You can’t leave, Danno,” she says. “What if they come back?” 

“They’re not coming back, I promise,” he assures her. “I’d love to stay with you, sweetheart but I’ve got to help three kids who were taken by those bad men. See, they want to go home and be with their parents, too. Do you understand?” 

“Okay,” she says, but she sounds sad and it kills him to have to let go. He nods at Rachel, leans in to kiss Charlie’s head and Stan encourages them all toward the window so they can climb outside. 

“Don’t look through the window Steve smashed through,” Danny warns them and Rachel’s too in shock to be angry about that, but he’s sure it’s going to come back later with a vengeance. Another future argument to worry about. 

Stan nods at him and helps Rachel climb out, and then Grace follows after one last hug and calling out goodbye to Steve. Stan goes out last and closes the window after him with a significantly traumatised expression that shows his whole universe has just been shattered. That's probably not a good sign. After all of that Danny feels like he needs to sit down but then all the available seating arrangements seem to be Rachel and Stan’s bed and the urge fortunately vanishes. 

He goes back out into the dining room where Steve is rummaging through the dead gang members clothes, searching as if he’s hoping to find something. He shakes his head when he realises Danny’s watching him and stands up empty handed. Danny's hit with a sense of overwhelming gratitude for a moment, insanely glad that Steve was here to help. 

“How’s Duke?” 

“He was stable when I left him, but he’s in bad shape,” Steve admits. “We need to leave before the HPD turn up and try to question us.” 

Danny makes an affirmative sound and tries to ignore the small cuts littering the skin of Steve’s bare arms from his close contact with the window. “You couldn’t have used the back door, Steven?” he sighs, staring at the smashed out, Steve shaped hole disparagingly. 

“No time.” 

Right. Danny does not have the energy to argue with him and leads Steve back outside without complaint. They make it out just as Stan is reversing out of the driveway onto the street. Charlie waves at them in confusion before they speed away because he's too young to understand what's happening. Danny waves back and his heart hurts with relief. 

“Let’s go.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chin calls them before they make it to the storage facility. They've found more financial records, drugs and paperwork linking the members on trial to MS-13 and are heading to the abandoned sugar mill now on the other side of the island. 

It’s not a short drive, but since Steve’s at the wheel again he makes it short and they’re arriving in Waialua in no time. Grover’s already there when they get out and Kono and Chin arrive shortly after. Since they’re not sure about the number of threats in the building, Steve has them all split up and cover different exits. 

“I’ve got three perps at my ten o’clock,” Kono reports over the comms once she's in place. 

“I can see two suspects guarding a locked room. The kids could be in there,” Grover mutters and Danny can see them as well from his position. 

“Alright, on my count we move in,” Steve says and Danny crouches low and prepares himself. 

“3,2,1. Go!” 

“Five-0 drop your weapons!” they’re all shouting in unison as they enter the sugar mill. 

Danny darts in, staying low as the entire place erupts into confusion. He shoots the first perp in his line of vision that tries to shoot him and pushes into the fray with determination to disarm him as the yelling and gunshots start up immediately. Danny instantly spots Steve across the room as he tackles into a perp, taking him down without effort, removing his weapon once he gets closer. 

Grover heads straight for the locked door as Kono slinks in from the opposite side, returning bullets when the men open fire. They go down before any of the team gets hurt and Kono’s kicking the door in, revealing the HPD children; Alani, Makoa and Mateo tied up on the floor in there as Grover retrieves the gang members weapons. 

They look terrified and Danny can see they’ve all been crying but keeping quiet like the kidnappers probably demanded. Grover and Kono hurry forward to remove the duct tape covering their mouths and they’re definitely not being quiet anymore. Danny can’t believe how brave they’ve all been and he’s moving into the room before he can overthink it. 

Steve stays outside, guarding the open area in case more members approach. 

“Hey there,” Danny greets them, gently twisting his MP7A1 submachine gun on its strap so that it's behind his back. They've probably had enough guns pointed in their faces to last a lifetime. “I’m Detective Williams and we’re Five-0. We’re here to help you get home to your parents, alright?” 

He’s pulling out his badge to show them his identification so that they can trust him. “See, everything’s gonna be okay.” 

Alani nods and Kono helps her to her feet as Grover assists the boys. They’re quiet which means they’re probably in shock and Chin comes running in from the other end of the factory to interrupt them. Danny doesn't like his grim expression. 

“I’ve got six heading out the back,” he pants. “Heavily armed.” 

Steve’s already moving. “Alright, me and Danny will cover you. Grover and Kono you get these kids outta here.” 

Danny doesn’t move out straight away. “This is Officer Kalakaua and Officer Grover,” he explains to the children, gesturing helpfully to his teammates. “We’ve still got some bad guys in the building so I need you to leave with these two gifted officers here and I promise they’ll protect you. Can you do that for me?” 

The kid's seem more than happy to agree and allow Kono and Grover to lead them out of the factory, white-faced. Danny hopes once they’re reunited with their parents they might be able to work past the trauma of what they’ve been through in the last few days. The smell in the room suggests the gang members didn’t even allow them to leave for bathroom breaks. 

Danny grits his teeth and follows Chin and Steve out through the back. Since the factory is big the men haven’t gotten too far ahead of them. Chin and Steve are up ahead and start clearing rooms while Danny watches the open hallway. They’re moving ahead in the next moment and that’s when the remaining gang members make their move. Four perps come storming down the hallway towards them, weapons firing. It’s all a blur of bullets as Danny crouches down and return fires, Steve and Chin taking cover in the open doorways.

Steve and Chin shoot the two men closest to them and Danny gets the third standing at his two o’clock. The last one standing’s mag runs out and when he’s frantically reloading Chin gets in close enough to sock him in the jaw and he goes down. Danny and Steve rush forward while he’s busy disarming the shooter and handcuffing him to a pipe hanging on the wall behind him. They'll sort him out later. 

The hallway opens up into the guts and machinery of the factory and Steve signals for them to split up and search the area individually. Danny takes the left while Steve heads for the middle, Chin darting to the right. The pipes and metal work obscure his vision so Danny keeps his head down and his senses alert for a possible attack. 

At this point, the maze of machinery means the men could jump out of just about anywhere to catch him by surprise and since they’ve already gone after his family as a distraction, traumatised some innocent kids and potentially sent human shipments into Oahu, Danny’s really not feeling too forgiving. 

Predictably, the guy comes flying out from atop some kind of rusting boiler and it’s probably the first instance Danny’s height is an advantage since he jumps too high and in the time it takes to reach him, Danny’s waiting for him. He catches the guy mid-air; dodging the knife he slashes at Danny's head and dropping his gun in the process. 

They go down in a heap, but Danny’s scrappy in a fight and smacks the knife out of the guy’s grip, rolling them until he’s on top of his back, pressing down with his good knee and pinning him there as he cuffs him. The guy struggles some, but when Danny retrieves his gun and pistol whips him up the side of the head he shuts up pretty quick. He’s up and moving in the next second, straightening his shirt and rounding the corner as he walks straight into the line of fire. 

In the breath of a second Danny processes three facts; first, is that he very clearly forgot there was a final shooter. Second is that there isn’t enough time for him to raise his weapon and third is that he was absolutely right about getting shot after all and now he’s about to leave his kids without a father. 

It’s all very fast after that. The perp’s gun goes off and Danny’s seen enough shooting to know his aim is deadly before there’s a warm body pushing into him and Steve is suddenly there, furious and determined as he takes a fucking bullet for him. Chin arrives in the next instance just as Danny’s moves frighteningly fast and pumps two bullets into the MS member’s heart. He’s dead before he even hits the ground and Chin’s already moving toward Steve to check on him. 

He’s collapsed against the head of the boiler and Chin’s already tearing strips off of his shirt to halt the blood flow. The bullet’s pierced his arm through and through, but there’s still a lot of blood to be worried about. Danny can’t even speak around the flood of adrenaline, he’s so dazed and shaken and _goddamn angry_ standing there, hovering silently over Chin's shoulder. 

“Check if there’s any more of them,” he tells Chin and without even waiting for a reply, he’s nudging his hands out of the way, crouching down and applying pressure on Steve’s wound himself. 

Steve hisses quietly as Chin leaves and Danny uses his free hand to cradle the back of Steve's neck, anchoring himself properly as he uses his good knee as a brace on the floor. His fingers are shaking. 

“I’m okay, Danny,” he promises, and he must feel Danny thrumming against his skin, mistaking his rage for fear. “I’m fine.” 

“You pig headed, self sacrificing _idiot,_ ” Danny snaps, pressing hard enough that Steve’s body slams against the metalwork behind him and he grimaces. “Are you outta your goddamn mind? You trying to get yourself killed? Do you have a death wish, Steve? What is the matter with you?” 

“What could I do, Danny?” Steve protests. “He was going to shoot you. I wasn’t going to let that happen. And a ‘thank you’ would be nice. I just got shot if you didn’t notice.”

Danny can’t believe he loves this animal. 

“Thanks,” he spits out and before Danny can read him the riot act, Steve’s offering up a blinding grin that stretches his lungs out. 

Danny doesn’t plan on doing it. He’s already got his hand on Steve’s neck (with the intent to shake or strangle him) but the next thing he knows, he’s gripping tight, still keeping pressure with his other hand as he rocks forward and kisses Steve on the mouth. 

It’s hard and fast and without much finesse, but Danny feels it like the jolt of a sudden and unexpected crash, twisting through his insides and lighting him up. Steve’s mouth opens in a gasp of pure shock and it’s that, that brings Danny back to his senses, wrenching away as he grabs Steve’s opposite hand and uses it to replace his own, stopping the flow of blood. 

“Keep pressure on that, I’m gonna check on the others,” he commands without looking at him, completely ignoring what he just did and waves Steve into silence when he tries to protest. “Please stop talking.” 

He’s up and striding back out of the room before Steve can reply. Danny’s not sure what came over him in there, but it’s definitely clear his sexual attraction is not limited to the female persuasion anymore. And it’s only taken little more than half of his life to figure that particular helpful bit of information out. Wonderful. 

This is not good. Danny’s pretty sure kissing your partner after he took a bullet for you isn’t standard operating procedure, even if they’re the particular brand of partner that’s constantly mistaken as a couple. When Danny finally bursts outside, the afternoon sun happily reminds him exactly how many layers he’s wearing and it takes a few steadying breaths to regain his composure before he approaches Kono and Grover. 

They must’ve called in the EMT’s because they’re already parked by Danny’s car, inspecting the children to be sure they’re unharmed and not dehydrated. Mateo, Officer Rodriguez’s son is close enough to spot him and the watery smile he offers Danny makes this whole ordeal entirely worth it. Even if Steve’s most likely to shut down and never trust him again. 

Danny thinks that’s probably going to hurt worse than a gun shot wound. Or maybe he’ll just punch Danny and that’ll be the end of it, they’ll got back to how they were. The thought is suddenly not so appealing. 

It hits him then, in the instance between steps like a projectile missile. He doesn’t just love Steve to the point that it drives him clinically insane putting up with every ridiculous thing he does daily. Oh no, not Danny. He’s not that lucky. 

He’s the schmuck that’s also _in_ love with him. 

And he had absolutely _no idea about it._

Danny might actually be the worst Detective in _existence._ He trusts Steve. Really trusts him, trusts him with his daughter, his son and Danny doesn’t trust anyone when it comes to them. Steve drives his goddamn car like he’s allowed to, like his meant to and Danny- fucking _lets him._ He bought Steve an expensive guitar a few months ago and Danny’s a total tightwad when it comes to money in every aspect of his life- bar his kids. 

They’ve cuddled on the couch for Christ sake when Catherine- Oh God, _Catherine_ had been sitting at the other end. And nobody blinked at it, because it hadn’t been strange at the time, it had been _normal._

Danny is a goddamn _idiot._

There are EMT’s rushing about and Danny knows a lot of the MS members they shot are still kicking so they’ve got their work cut out for them right now. 

“I’ve got two deceased and seven GSW's’,” an EMT who Danny recognises yells out as he comes storming out of the factory, shooting Danny a dirty look as if it’s somehow his fault and not his shoot first, ask questions later, Navy SEAL Rambo partner. 

Speaking of. 

“Hey,” he says, catching the closest EMT’s elbow as she’s rushing past. “My guy’s in there,” he points out, cringing internally at the phrasing of his words. Steve isn't _his_ anything and Danny needs to get it together already. "He's been shot in the arm." 

She nods efficiently and takes off in the direction Danny gesture’s at. He reaches Kono and Chin just as Grover’s getting into his car. 

“Hey man,” he calls out. “Where you going?” 

“I think I got an idea how to get this HPD informant,” Grover admits. “Give me half an hour.” 

“You need backup?” he asks, a little desperate for any excuse to avoid Steve and the approaching fallout of his inevitable reaction to being kissed by his partner. Danny's not sure if he can handle it and that's ridiculous because he's been in multiple situations with higher stress than his current romantic problems. 

Whatever happens, Danny has to handle it. He won't survive this otherwise. 

Grover frowns a little at the offer and Danny knows they weren’t on good terms before he joined Five-0 and it took him a while to warm up to the guy- mostly because he's constantly trying to tell him how to parent Grace- but that doesn’t make his offer strange. Grover’s still staring at him like it is though, dammit. 

“I should be able to handle it,” he says evenly. “How’s McGarrett?” 

Danny tries to smile grimly, but ultimately fails. “Oh you know Steve. Stubborn as hell.” 

He seems intent on proving that because in the next second, Steve’s bursting out of the factory, the female EMT angrily trailing after him and trying to prevent his movements as she’s got her hand pressed into his arm. He barely notices her as he strides toward them, jaw tight and resolute. 

“Detective McGarrett,” she’s yelling furiously. “You need to stop moving!” 

Danny locks eyes with him, instantly knowing who Steve’s target is and feels adrenaline kick in and the urge to bolt flood through him. He stands his ground, because that’s just what Danny does, he’s not a runner and waits for the inevitable blow out. 

“Boss!” Kono shouts, recognising the danger in his crazed, determined look as he strides toward Danny, the EMT, pushing at his chest and attempting to prevent his movements. She's stocky, but to Steve it's like she's not even there. Danny swallows hard. 

He’s an impossible mountain of unwavering strength bearing down on him and Danny is not looking forward to this at all as Steve catches him by the straps of his vest and pushes him up against the side of the EMT transport van. It's more jarring than painful, but Danny's so startled he can't speak. 

“What the hell was that?” Steve demands and for once in his life Danny can't think of anything to say. That only seems to only enrage Steve further because suddenly he’s yelling, “huh? Danny! What _was_ that?!” 

“I don’t know!” Danny’s automatically shouting back. “Temporary insanity? Obviously I lost my mind back there because you’re being completely unreasonable! See this is why you terrify people, Steve, because you are literally crazy, you know that?” 

“So you did it because _I’m_ crazy?” Steve demands, voice getting louder. “You sure that insanity’s only temporary?’ 

Danny doesn’t have a good response for that since he’s allowing Steve to hold him up against a van, slick with his blood which the big idiot has smeared all over him without noticing and there’s an EMT still trying, and failing, to pull Steve off of him. When he glances over at Chin and Kono and sees their horrified expressions, he looks over at the kids and it's no stretch to guess they’re terrified. 

What a mess. 

“No,” he yells back, losing it altogether. “And you should stop talking right now because in case you didn't notice, you’re scaring the goddamn kids!” 

Steve lets out a furious laugh. “I’m the one?-“ he’s muttering, and in the next second he’s yanking Danny forward and kissing him. 

Danny’s protest is muffled in the warmth of Steve’s mouth and yeah, this is much better than a chaste kiss in an abandoned sugar mill factory that's for sure. His cock fills in his pants and Danny actually feels the exact moment Steve notices because all that warm, slick heat is pulling away with a tortured groan. 

In the next moment, Steve’s looking incredibly satisfied with himself probably because Danny needs to use the side of the van for support, incredibly dazed by what just transpired. The EMT standing right beside them is equally stunned. This is not professional _at all._

“Commander McGarrett,” she snaps, recovering quickly. “This is highly inappropriate. Now unhand Detective Williams and allow me to treat you.” 

Danny can’t believe this is happening. He can believe it a lot more when Steve grins sheepishly and says, “Immunity and means,” as if that’s a perfectly acceptable response. He uses the phrase as if it gives him the right to kiss Danny anywhere he wants. That's enough to help him get his body under control again. 

Danny _really_ can’t believe he’s only punched Steve in the face once. 

“Oh, so that’s what you two were doing when you told me to check for more suspects,” Chin teases and suddenly he’s smirking. 

“What?” Kono demands and Danny winces at how delighted she sounds. 

Grover, who’s half leaning on his open car door raises an eyebrow, seemingly confused by the situation. “Wait, you two aren’t already-’ he waves a hand between them as if to symbolise sexual intercourse and then frowns harder when no one confirms it's true. 

“No,” Chin replies with a surprising amount of authority on the matter. “They were dragging their feet.” 

“Excuse me?” Danny wonders, temper already flaring at the idea that this was such a topic of conversation between his teammates and he _still_ had no idea bout it. 

“Aw c’mon, Danny,” Kono says. “We were all rooting for you to pull your heads out of your asses.” 

Alani giggles at that and Danny remembers yet again that this is all taking place in front of young, _impressionable_ children. 

“Not in front of the kids,” he snaps, before pointing at Grover. “And you. Don’t you have a lead you’re supposed to be chasing?” 

Grover grins at him, but holds his hands up in surrender and climbs into his car and drives off without any further arguments. 

“And you two,” he gestures at Chin and Kono. “Why don’t you go and book our remaining suspects.” 

Kono smirks at him. “Sure thing, _Boss,_ ” she replies and she’s absolutely making fun of him. Chin just smiles serenely and follows after her. They're both awful. Just awful. Danny hates everyone. 

Satisfied at least with the fact that they've left for now, Danny spins back toward Steve. “And _you,_ ” he mutters. “Listen to the nice lady and let her patch you up before you bleed to death or I'll kill you myself.” 

Shockingly, Steve obeys but when he lets go, he’s got this stupid grin on his face that Danny really wants to do something about and the EMT looks unbelievably relieved when he lets her escort him toward the back of the van to sit down. 

“Thank you, Detective Williams,” she mutters over her shoulder. “At least one of you here has some sense.” 

Steve’s offended expression is highly gratifying as Danny fixes himself up a little in order to retain some semblance of dignity before he’s approaching the three kids being handed bottles of water and blankets wrapped around them- even in this weather- to deal with the shock. It's very difficult to ignore the way his mouth is still tingling from the heat of Steve's mouth, though. Jesus. 

“How they doing?” he asks the closest EMT and his expression means good news. 

“They’re okay,” he reports, sounding upbeat. “Little dehydrated and they’re in shock, but I’m sure they’ll be happy to get home.” 

“I think I can handle that,” he promises, giving Makoa a wink. 

If anything, they seem more impressed by him after the Steve incident than they had when he'd come in with his gun blazing and helped rescue them. Danny doesn't want to think much about that past the part where they’re more than happy for him to drive them all home. 

Danny’s already memorised their addresses so it’s not any trouble taking the trip. He’ll probably get their statements later or maybe their parents will want to do that, either way Danny knows if it was him he’d be grateful to see his kids first and worry about the rest once he's certain they're unharmed. He leaves Steve with the EMT’s since it looks like he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon but the way his eyes follow Danny as he leaves is very concerning. 

Particularly, for his suddenly unexplainable shortness of breath. He manages to calm himself before anyone notices, though. 

Once he’s peeling out of the parking lot, the kids true reason for coming along without much protest is quickly revealed. 

“Is that big man your husband?” one of them asks, Mateo, he thinks with a grimace as the other two giggle. 

Jesus, they’ve recovered from the trauma of their kidnapping pretty damn fast. Probably because he and Steve traumatised them just as memorably a few minutes ago. Danny cringes, hopes they don't decide to inform their parents about the incident and struggles to think of how he would answer that question if Grace had asked it. 

And he has no idea what to say. 

“See the thing is we’re not married,” Danny fumbles to explain. “We’re just, uh, Jesus, how do I-“ 

“Why not?” Alani demands. “But he _likes_ you. A lot.” 

“Look we’re not married…” he struggles. “Because we can’t!" he says, grasping at a technicality to distract them. "It’s not legal for us to get married, so we can’t. End of story.” 

“Yes it is,” Makoa insists stubbornly. “My Moms are married. It’s legal and everything.” 

Danny’s frowning before he can stop himself. How in the hell did he miss Hawaii legalising same-sex marriage? He knows they repealed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in the military a few years back because Steve mentioned it once, very cautiously, in passing, but how did he not know about this? What has Danny been doing? No wonder people keep thinking he and Steve are married, because it’s legal now. For all these people know, he and Steve _are_ married. 

That actually explains a lot. Damn. 

“Are you drinking the water the EMT’s gave you?” Danny asks, quickly attempting to change the subject. “You must be thirsty. C’mon, gotta keep your fluids up.” 

There’s blissful silence for all of about five minutes as the kids are busy drinking water. 

“So if you’re kissing does that mean he’s your boyfriend then?” Mateo wonders, suspiciously. “My Mom has a boyfriend who she kisses. He’s nice. He lets me ride his motorcycle with him.” 

Danny groans and prepares himself for a long drive. 

They make it to Officer Leia Kalani’s house first as it’s the closest and since Danny’s already called ahead, Officer Kalani and her wife are standing out the front, clutching each other hopefully as they wait. Makoa bolts out of the car before Danny’s even shifted into park and he’s asking Alani and Mateo to wait a moment while he switches the car off and goes out to meet them. 

Makoa’s in the middle of getting his life squeezed out of him which is nothing less than what Danny would’ve done if it was Grace or Charlie and Leia and her wife are crying happy tears when they finally notice him standing there. 

“Thank you,” Leia breathes, before she’s patting softly at her wife. “Alright Aikane, let go. We’re strangling him.” 

Makoa doesn't seem too bothered by the idea and his grin is blinding when he turns around and lets himself get buried in his parent’s embrace. 

“I should be thanking you Officer Kalani,” he offers kindly. “If you hadn’t said something to Duke, Five-0 could never have helped like we did. Thanks to you those MS members are staying in prison and we managed to pick up a few more.” 

“What about the mole in HPD?” Aikane demands and Officer Kalani seems a little sheepish that her wife knows such privileged information. Danny can’t resent her for it. 

“We’ve got a lead,” he promises, trusting Grover’s judgement. “Don’t worry. We’ll get them.” 

Makoa’s parents smile begrudgingly and proceed to bury their son in kisses. “Moms! Stop!” he protests, seemingly embarrassed that Danny’s there witnessing this, but Danny doesn’t believe him for a second. That's one kid deliriously happy to be home, if he ever saw one. 

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got two more to take home,” he says. “We still need Makoa’s statement so we’ll be in contact soon to sort something out.” 

“Thank you, Detective Williams,” Aikane says, as if he can’t already feel the immense power of their combined gratitude. 

“Thank your wife,” he replies and heads back to his car with a final wave. 

They make it to Officer Hekekia’s place next and he and his wife come straight outside as soon as he pulls up as if they’ve been waiting there by the door. Alani smiles happily and tumbles out across the front seat, running straight for her mother’s arms, who scoops her up and cradles her like she’s something precious. Which of course, Danny knows from experience that she definitely is. 

Officer Hekekia shakes Danny’s hand and thanks him profusely sounding extremely choked up about it, hand on his daughter’s back and rubbing soothing circles as if he has to constantly remind himself she’s there. Danny informs him the HPD informant is soon to be out of the picture and when they thank him again, he promises to contact them soon about Alani’s statement before he’s heading back to his car. 

Mateo’s already climbed into the front seat in the meantime and he’s all but bursting out of his skin with the need to get home already. Danny runs two red lights and makes him promises not to tell his mother. Officer Rodriguez comes out immediately with her boyfriend and Mateo’s motorcycle riding friend doesn’t wait for Danny to let him out of the car, running forward and pulling him out like he’s pulling him from a burning wreckage. 

Danny swallows a lump in his throat as Officer Rodriguez's boyfriend clutches Mateo quietly as if he were his own son, whispering softly to him, tears of relief spilling down his cheeks. His partner is just as happy, completely ignoring Danny as she runs around to meet them and he’s not in the least offended at all when Mateo gets wrapped up in a breathless hug from his family. 

Once they’ve recovered themselves a little, Danny informs them they’ll need Mateo’s statement soon and eases their worries about the HPD informant whilst politely avoiding their thanks. He can't take credit for this. Not when it was such a team effort. 

When he finally drives away, car suddenly empty, he feels a strong sense of fulfilment and calls his daughter. They’re at the HPD about to give their statements and she sounds much better. Danny drives straight there to check on them, especially since there's still a HPD informant hiding in the precinct. Once he's there, he hands them over to a friend of his from his earlier HPD days who he trusts, Officer Ka'aukai, and takes Grace and Charlie for ice cream while Rachel and Stan give their statements. 

He makes sure to ask how they're doing after they've got some sugar in them, but Grace and Charlie don't seem as upset by what happened as he'd anticipated and that thoroughly reassures him they'll be okay. By the time they're finished their cones, Danny brings them back to HPD and they've wrapped everything up by then. 

Since their house is a crime scene, Stan explains he's booked a room at the Four Seasons Hotel- which is typical, Step-Stan, billionaire behaviour- and Rachel begrudgingly agrees when Danny makes sure to check he'll be allowed to see his kids next weekend. He knows Rachel's not as bad lately as she used to be, but she's barred him from his children in the past and Danny's not taking any chances. 

He doesn’t tell them about Steve. Not yet. Because despite popular belief, he is not going to immediately marry Steve McGarrett. This is too important to rush into. 

When he's heading back to HQ, Grover finally calls back, sounding immensely satisfied and Danny has a good feeling about that already. 

“I got him,” he says proudly and Danny’s grinning because he can’t help it. 

Those three words seem to make everything worth it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It turns out Grover found the informant when he went to go and talk to Matson’s shipping employees about the arriving containers Jerry found on that scrap of paper. The phone number connected to a higher up in the business but the rest of the employees were more than happy to give Grover the officer's description and badge number which one of them thought to write down. Apparently, he’d been stupid enough to show up at the shipping company in his uniform to dissuade them from reporting the containers which were trafficking people. 

They’d singled him out easily enough for Grover to place under arrest. Kono and Chin came back a little while later with Steve in tow from the hospital, all stitched up and eyeing Danny hungrily. He tries to ignore the last part. 

“How’s the arm?” he immediately asks, feeling a twinge in his chest at the way Steve is looking at him right now. “Did you see Duke in there? How’s he doing?” 

“He’ll be out on injury leave for a few months but the doctor says there won’t be any lasting damage. What happened with the kids? The HPD informant still at large?” 

“Kids are home safe and their parents will be bringing them in to make their statements in the next few days. Grover’s got the informant in the interrogation room now. And don’t think I didn’t notice you avoid my question there, Steven. What you’re too tough guy to talk about your bullet wounds? You are incredibly frustrating you know that?” 

“Bullet _wound,_ Danno,” Steve corrects, as if that’s what really matters- the number of times he’s taken a bullet today. “I got shot once and I’m fine.” 

“Oh, shot once, _this time._ Silly me. I clearly don’t know what I’m talking about.” 

Steve steps closer as if he’s going to do something about it and Danny’s immediately reminded of the fact that they _kissed_ an hour ago and Steve’s standing intimately close like he wants to do it again. If he does, Danny is at least 120 per cent sure he's going to let him. They're a pair of idiots, the two of them. 

“You two need a moment?” Chin wonders and Danny swallows heavily and tries to pull himself together. This is his place of work after all. No need to get improper. 

Kono’s grinning at them and Danny’s all about keeping this situation as professional as possible, even if Steve happily threw that out the window an hour ago. It doesn’t matter, Danny’s going to hold on to rules and order as stubbornly as possible, by the skin of his teeth if it comes down to it. 

“What I need is to get started on this cases’ paperwork if I ever want to go home and enjoy some semblance of a Sunday evening,” Danny mutters, feeling immensely worn out. 

The first thing he’s gonna do it hit the couch with a beer once this is done. Then he's going to sit and worry about all of the lasting traumatic damage for Grace and Charles and those three kidnapped kids. He can't wait. Steve doesn’t wait a moment either, disappearing off toward the interrogation room like he’s on a mission and Danny knows the crooked HPD Officer is about to feel a world of regret for turning his back on the justice system and his fellow officers. 

Danny heads into his office with a hefty sigh and takes a seat in front of his computer, preparing to construct a long case report that naturally avoids any words like ‘misuse of power’, ‘end justifies the means’ and ‘drastic’ or ‘unorthodox methods’ when referencing Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. It’s a complicated job, alright. Danny can’t believe the amount of revision that’s involved. The thought that there’s a cold beer and a couch to sink into just waiting for him at home is enough to keep him going, though. 

Steve comes into his office just as he’s finishing up. His knuckles aren’t bloody, so he obviously wasn’t angry enough to use his personal, Steve McGarrett brand of justice on him. Yet another thing to leave out of the report. 'Immunity and means' might be the best thing to happen to Oahu, but it’s definitely a worst nightmare for Hawaii’s criminal underbelly. Danny's willing to live with that. 

“You ready?” Steve wonders and instantly Danny can hear how fond he sounds, really fond, in such an obvious way that he never thought to notice before. 

Oh. _Oh._

Steve’s so wound tight half of the time he rarely shows enough emotion to notice, so the idea that it’s there, layered in the timbre of his voice when he talks to Danny really does something to him. It really does a lot of things. 

“What am I ready for exactly?” he wonders, distracted. 

“For that beer I owe you,” Steve says as if it’s obvious and he’s striding around the desk to put his warm hand on Danny’s shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s go.” 

“I’m almost finished,” he protests, even as Steve is tugging him out of the chair and leading him out of the room. 

“Hey Chin,” Steve calls. “I’m taking Danny home. Can you finish off the report?” 

“Sure thing, Boss,” Chin says agreeably but his expression is all innuendo and incorrect expectation and Danny has a few words to say about that. Maybe a lot more than a few. If Steve would just stop _tugging_ him- 

“Thanks, babe. But it’s already done,” he tells Chin, gesturing toward his office, annoyed Steve is trying to pass off his workload like it’s no problem. Danny can pull his weight just fine. “It needs to be printed and filed, that's all.” 

“I’ll take care of it,” Chin promises, leering only a little. “You two have fun.” 

“Oh no,” Danny argues, waving his hand harder. “There is no fun happening here you got that? Alls I know is I’m going home and putting my feet up and that is all that is happening tonight.” 

Steve’s hand on his bicep drops away and Danny inclines his head to start yelling at him too before the traitorous hand is sliding meaningfully down Danny’s back as he nudges him out of HQ. Danny barely gets in a quick goodbye to Chin, no Kono or Grover in sight as he’s being commandeered out the door. 

“Manhandling me around the place is not gonna get me to move any quicker, Steve,” Danny points out, patiently. “And since we’re on the subject, I think it’s best you know the only circumstances in which I’m having a beer today will be when I’m at home and sitting on my couch.” 

“Sure, Danny,” Steve agrees easily which is a sure sign something suspicious is underway. “Would you relax?” 

“I don’t know, Steven,” Danny continues as the elevator doors open and they’re walking out of the lobby into the parking lot. “Would you be relaxed if you were suddenly being escorted from the premises like you’re heading straight to lock up?” 

Steve actually has the balls to laugh in his face. “You actually think that I would ever arrest you? You’re kidding right? You’re the brains of this partnership, I’m just the brawn.” 

Yeah, right. Danny actually rolls his eyes as he climbs into the passenger seat of his own damn car. “Grover said that _one_ time. You need to let it go already. We are a partnership, okay Steve? And that means we work together to solve problems and I am as much brawn as you are. Don’t pretend you’re not the brains as well.” 

“So you _are_ a lot nicer when I take a bullet for you,” Steve observes, reversing out of the car space. “I’ll remember that.” 

“Excuse me?” Danny demands. “If that’s your way of trying to get yourself killed then I’m not going to stop you. In fact, I’d be just as happy to shoot you myself. And I’ll have you know that I happen to possess a natural, friendly demeanour and I’m _always nice._ ” 

Steve snorts. “Yeah, nice to kids, maybe. What about the rest of us?” 

“And what about you today, huh? Traumatising those kids by storming out like a psychopath, covered in blood looking crazed before you _grabbed_ me and…” 

Danny abruptly can’t even finish the sentence. 

“You kissed me first,” Steve shoots back petulantly, unembarrassed. 

“That has nothing to do with anything,” Danny lies, because it has everything to do with everything. “But don’t pretend you’re the one being mistreated here, pal.” 

“How have I mistreated you?” Steve argues, and he’s starting to sound upset. “I took a bullet for you. I'm giving you the afternoon off, I’m about to buy you beer. I’m even driving you home right now.” 

Danny doesn't even know where to begin. “First of all, Steve, you’d take a bullet for just about anyone because we all know you have a hero complex and like to suffer and second, I did not ask you to pull me out of finishing my paperwork and kidnap me because I am happy to do my job even if it _is_ on a Sunday." 

"And thirdly, I’m always buying you beer because you have a knack of conveniently forgetting your wallet at any given time so it’s not like this is any real hardship for you to return the favour. And this right now is not you driving me home, but is in fact you hijacking my car to work out your rigid, military regimented control issues and wreaking havoc on my life since I did not in fact, give you permission to drive it.” 

“Oh, so I save you from getting shot and somehow I’m ruining your life?” Steve demands and he’s got that grin on which means he’s humouring Danny’s outburst. 

“Yes!” Danny yells, well into full blown ranting. “You, Steve McGarrett are a life ruiner, getting yourself shot and leaving me with the aftermath and those kids asking all sorts of invasive questions, like if you’re my husband and-“ 

Steve nearly swerves the car out into oncoming traffic when he drops the wheel in shock. Danny continues on despite the close call. “And see this is not the type of thing I want to be talking about with a couple of ten to twelve year olds, Steve, and it’s all your fault.” 

“My fault? _You_ kissed _me!_ ” 

“I told you, temporary insanity. It was an _accident._ ” 

“You can’t accidentally kiss someone, Danny,” Steve mutters, sounding extremely aggravated. “That’s not how it works.” 

“Yes, it does. And I’ll tell you one thing I- where are we going?” he demands, realising suddenly that Steve is not, in fact, taking him home. 

“Back to my place.” 

Danny blinks at Steve. “Back to- did you miss the part where I told you- very emphatically I might add- that I wanted to nothing else but to go home? What is _wrong_ with you?” 

“My bed’s bigger.” 

“It’s bigger?” he echoes dumbly, and his first thought is that Steve confidently knows what size Danny’s bed is and his second thought is that apparently he’s strategizing this beer into something a hell of a lot more than advertised. 

“Yes, Danno,” Steve says, offering a suggestive look before it clicks. 

“Is beer code for something else I didn’t know about?” Danny wonders faintly, flushing hot and cold at the thought of him and Steve. In a bed. _Together._ “And don’t you think that’s a little presumptuous?” 

“I’m not presuming anything,” Steve argues. “I’m just being efficient.” 

“Efficient?” Danny demands, voice strangled. “Is this how you seduce people, Steven? Because this is pathetic. I’m embarrassed for you.” 

“Oh, I’m seducing you now am I? Is that how this works?” 

“You’re the one who kissed me in front of impressionable children.” 

“You kissed me first!” 

“Temporary insanity!” 

Steve reaches across the gear shift apropos of nothing and takes Danny’s hand in his. 

“What are you doing?” he splutters, looking down at their intertwined hands as if it's a bomb about to explode. The fact that it feels really, _really_ good has nothing to do with it. 

“I’m holding your hand. What does it look like I’m doing, Danno?” 

Danny feels warm all over. “You didn’t even ask my permission. Have you ever heard of consent? You’re such an animal.” 

Steve sighs like he’s extremely put upon, but relaxes his grip. “Fine. Can I hold your hand?” 

“No,” Danny replies, but stubbornly refuses to let go when Steve tries to release him. 

“Look, this is hard enough, Danny. You think I’m willing to risk it if it’s gonna jeopardise our friendship? Don't you think you could cut me some slack here? 

“You think _this_ is hard?” he demands. “I’m the one who’s just figured out we’ve been practically dating for six years!” 

Steve actually makes a sound of astonished disbelief. “We have not,” he stubbornly insists and Danny lets out a wild laugh. 

He pulls his hand free, but only because he needs them both in order to demonstrate his argument effectively and possibly to strangle his partner. Steve’s not deterred by the unpredictability of his gestures, though. “Oh yeah?” he challenges. “How many people have keys to your house, Steve?” 

Steve hesitation is all but damning. “You and Mary.” 

“Who’s your emergency contact?” 

“You,” Steve grits out. 

“When was the last time you went on a date?” 

Steve's expression turns affronted. “Hey, I date. I went out with Lynn a few weeks ago-” 

“Uh huh. And who’s the last person you shared a bed with?” 

Steve wilfully refuses to reply. Point fucking made. 

“See? We’re practically married, Steve. We _cuddle._ ” 

“You’re talking like this is my fault,” Steve protests as they pull into his driveway. “What about you, Danno?” 

Danny climbs out and slams the car door like he’s mortally offended. “What about me?” he demands. 

“Well, who’s your emergency contact?” 

“You know it’s you. Since most of the time you’re the one trying to put me in the hospital, anyway.” 

Steve scowls a little, but ignores the jab. “And you trust me to pick up Gracie from school or look after her when you can’t. Her teacher knows me. By _name,_ Danny.” 

“Yeah, but that’s-“ 

“Do you let anyone else do that?” 

Danny’s frowning as Steve unlocks the front door. “No.” 

“And you let me drive your car.” 

“You never ask-“ 

“But you still _let_ me do it,” Steve says heading straight for the fridge and Danny notices him checking all of the rooms as he does so and automatically watches Steve’s back. 

“Whether or not I enable you is not the point,” he protests, accepting the beer from Steve, allowing their fingers to brush when Steve’s touch purposely lingers. He swallows heavily. “The point, Steve, is that you’re a ridiculous human being who, statistically, should already be dead by now, but I’m willing to put up with you.” 

They move toward the couch together and collapse in one singular movement. In the next second Steve’s free hand is sliding across the nape of Danny’s neck, thumb rubbing pleasurably against the warm skin there and he’s leaning forward to whisper, 

“How willing?” 

“Jesus,” Danny groans, and nearly spills beer all over himself, but doesn’t lean away. “You really just wanna dive right in don’t you? That's just unfair. You can’t talk to me like that, not if you don’t want to kill me. I have _kids,_ Steve.” 

Steve snorts, rolling his eyes as he takes a swig of his beer and pulls his hand back, but only so he can throw it around Danny’s shoulder. Danny snuggles into it unthinkingly like he always does before he realises what he’s doing. 

“Oh, God,” he mutters when Steve’s hand slides tantalisingly along his arm. “We’ve been so stupid.” 

“Mmm,” Steve agrees softly before he’s leaning in to nuzzle at Danny’s throat, sliding his nose up against the skin there as Danny draws a shuddering breath. 

Danny takes a sip of his beer and deliberately drops his hand onto Steve’s thigh, high enough that it’s unmistakeably close to his inseam. He hasn’t got a plan and no real idea of what he’s doing, but Steve exhales sharply like he intends to find out. 

“This isn’t just about exploring my burgeoning bisexuality,” Danny admits. “You seem pretty comfortable already, but I need you to know this isn’t just about sex, okay? If we’re doing this, I’m in it for the long haul.” 

Steve groans a little and presses his mouth to the exposed skin of Danny’s shoulder. “So am I,” he promises. “I’ve been in it from the beginning.” 

Danny pauses and tilts his head incrementally toward Steve. “From the beginning… as in the first time we were pointing our guns at each other before you made me your partner? That beginning?” 

Steve hums softly and he’s resting his beer between his legs and bringing his hand down onto Danny’s knee, rubbing at the tight muscles there, distracting Danny with a groan. His hands are strong and sure, untying the knots in Danny’s muscle and of course he'd be good at this as well. 

“Yeah, never met anyone as passionate as you before,” Steve murmurs, and his voice is much lower than Danny’s ever heard it. “You bring it out of me, too. I just wanted to know more about you.” 

“So you’ve been interested in me for six years and never thought to mention it?” Danny accuses, frustrated that Steve has to be such a martyr all the time. Maybe if he’d said something earlier, they could’ve- 

No. He wasn’t ready for this then, and it might have destroyed their friendship for good. Now he is. He's definitely ready now. 

“It wasn’t like that Danno,” Steve promises. “I just knew there was something more than what was on the surface and decided to give whatever it was time to sort it out.” 

“You don’t sound very panicked about that,” Danny observes. “I’m just wanna know you’re not going to have a crisis at some point and never look me in the eye again.” 

Steve releases his grip on Danny’s knee and slides his hand up along his thigh, cupping Danny confidently, to feel where he’s already half hard. 

“I’ve always liked men and women,” Steve explains as Danny hisses in pleasure. “Growing up with my father, and then joining the Navy, with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it was just easier to like women. Safer. A few of my Navy buddies knew, but I’ve never had a serious relationship with a man. Never wanted one.” 

The way he’s leaning into Danny’s space, staring intently into his face implies he’s rethinking that decision. Danny’s skin feels hot as he arches into Steve’s palm with a soft moan before he’s leaning forward to put his beer on the coffee table. Steve casually does the same, keeping his other hand atop of Danny’s steadily growing bulge before Danny’s pressing forward to capture Steve’s mouth. 

It’s better this time, less surprise for both of them and they’re prepared enough to suitably respond to the situation. Steve’s just as ridiculous when he kisses, all gung-ho and furious energy and as if he’s storming a building. He tastes of beer just like Danny, but Steve’s aftershave is flooding his senses, overwhelming him just as much as the kiss is. When Danny jerks back to rake air into his lungs, his heaving breaths make him sound like he’s under attack. 

“Of course you’d kiss like it’s deadly combat,” he pants, shaky and uneven as Steve leans into him. 

“You don’t sound too upset about it,” Steve notices, but there’s the familiar dogged expression on his face that he gets once he sees a challenge (and after that there’s no stopping him) which Danny knows spells trouble. Specifically, trouble for him. 

When Steve dips his head to kiss him again it’s softer, slower and much deadlier. His free hand slips through Danny’s hair while his other settles on his crotch and the minimal pressure is anguish, as if Steve’s forgotten his hand is there. 

Danny certainly hasn’t. Steve then proceeds to give Danny the cruellest kind of chaste kisses, light but lingering, just the press of warm mouths really, and Danny pretty much falls to pieces under the onslaught. 

He’s never been kissed like this before, as if Steve has all the time in the world to press their mouths together, keeping up the contact without the sensation of foreplay in the background, like it’s inevitably leading to sex. Steve kisses as if he could do it for _hours_ without wanting anything more, but Danny doesn’t think he’d survive that long. 

It’s a few more minutes of warm, syrupy heat, Steve’s fingers idly scratching Danny’s scalp as he twists his fingers through his hair before Steve feels satisfied enough to relent the teasing torture. He opens his mouth and Danny’s letting him inside with a strangled moan, amazed at the pleasure of deepening the fleeting, but potent kisses after such a long wind up. He didn’t think he could get this aroused from just kissing, but the evidence speaks for itself, stirring him up and twisting him in all kinds of thrilling ways. 

Danny feels warm all over, loose-limbed and relaxed which he often has trouble with on a good day. His hands are grasping Steve’s neck, thumbs swiping across his stupid jawline as his fingers bury into his hair, holding him close. When he presses forward to get to Steve’s mouth, there’s an unbelievable pressure on his cock and he’s leaning into the sudden spark of heat with a sharp sound. His knee twinges painfully and that’s about when Danny realises he’s straddling Steve’s lap all of a sudden and doesn’t remember moving in the first place. He ignores the pain and grinds his hips down as Steve’s hands drops from his face and slides across his thighs, finally resting on his ass. 

And that's really, really okay. Danny pushes down harder, just as Steve arches his hips and he loses the ability to think for a moment before his knee is protesting again. When he tries to move anyway, keep up that burning friction, Steve catches his hips and forces him still. Danny’s pulling away in confusion but Steve’s hand slides comfortingly across his spine, keeping him there. 

“Your knee, Danno,” he whispers, out of breath and Danny’s glad he sounds just as affected by this. 

“If you’re using that as an excuse to stop, I will kick you in the balls,” Danny protests, but slowly allows Steve to manoeuvre him into standing. 

Steve gets up after him and takes his hand, trying to lead him somewhere. Danny immediately digs his heels in, not until Steve can formulate his ideas like a normal human being. “Where are we going?” he asks. 

Steve offers a heavy, significant look. “My bed’s bigger, remember?” 

Danny is _definitely_ not going to survive this.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“What do you want to do?” Steve asks, voice light and unconcerned about the question as if he’s asked what type of toppings Danny wants on pizza and not about what Danny wants to do with Steve in his admittedly larger bed. 

What he’s going to _let_ Steve do. 

Danny shudders at the question, pants no less uncomfortable then they were five minutes ago as he tries to think around his muddled desire. What does he want to do? 

The answer comes quickly, unbidden from the hidden recesses of his mind where he’s been unknowingly carrying Steve with him all this time- _everything._ He wants Steve to fuck him, but he wants Steve on his back, beneath him just as much, Steve on his knees and letting Danny fuck his throat, he wants to kiss him some more, get his hands all over him. Danny wants to make him _beg._

He surprises himself with the enthusiasm of his thoughts. Jesus, that many ideas don’t just spring from the inspiration of the moment. Danny’s been so stupid. 

“I don’t know,” he admits and hates the way Steve closes up a little as if preparing for rejection. “All of it. Everything. _Anything,_ babe.” 

Steve’s forehead smooths out a little, and the tension leaves his shoulders as his mouth lifts. “Yeah,” he agrees, coming toward him again. “Yeah, sure.” 

Danny hates that he has to lean up to kiss him, but Steve bends down eagerly before it’s a problem and their mouths are connecting just as astonishingly as earlier. Steve’s arms slide around Danny’s waist, pulling him in tighter before he’s tugging them backwards onto the bed. It doesn’t even groan under their collective weight and they bounce softly onto the covers with only minor jarring and barefaced grins. 

This is so much more than he expected. Danny tries to settle himself on top of Steve again, aligning their bodies to alleviate their neglected libidos. There’s the barest beginnings of friction before Steve is moaning into Danny’s mouth and rolling them across the mattress, careful of his leg as he shifts them into a more comfortable position. Danny’s grateful all of two seconds until Steve is pulling away. 

“What are-“ 

Steve on top, knees bracketing his hips is a sight Danny never thought he’d see, but doesn’t think he’d be able to live without now that he has. He’s heavy, but it’s not unpleasant when he carefully rolls their confined cocks together, pupils blown wide as he starts tearing off his shirt. 

Now that's a sight. Danny grinds his hips into Steve, liking the way his bulk covers him as Steve reveals his bare chest, the familiar tattoos that sit on both his biceps as he tosses his shirt across the room. He doesn’t even get started on his own buttons before Steve’s reaching down to help tug him free. 

“Are you ever not impatient?” Danny protests, but he’s just as glad to see his shirt go across the room, joining Steve’s in the ever-growing pile. 

“You love it,” Steve retorts and very deliberately rolls his hips as if to prove it. 

Danny grunts and when Steve lets him tug him back toward him, he goes straight for his throat. Steve jerks a little when Danny’s mouth closes over the sensitive skin there as if he wasn’t expecting it and the thrill Danny feels from that alone is enough to jerk his hips tighter. When Steve pulls back he thinks it might be a bad sign but it's only so he can capture Danny’s lips in a searing kiss as he works at the buttons of his pants. There’s a swooping feeling in his gut once Steve gets it undone and he’s pushing off him to help Danny wriggle out of them. 

He crawls back into the V of Danny’s open legs like he belongs there and Danny has no argument about that not when that means he’s close enough to get at Steve’s belt. And that's exactly what he does. Steve’s distracted suddenly by Danny’s chest as he works to remove his pants and Danny hisses when Steve presses his hands against his chest, sliding them across his nipples and down his stomach which shudders under his touch. 

He tries to focus on his task, Steve’s pants, which are locked up like a freaking oil drum with its goddamn unreasonable belt and Danny’s struggling even more with the task when Steve proceeds to use the distraction to touch every inch of his bare skin. 

“Steve,” he growls, pleased when he only latches onto Danny tighter at the sound and he finally, finally figures out how to undo Steve’s buckle. He tugs the belt out of the loop quickly, throwing it out of the way as Steve’s hands draw back to help. 

In the next moment Danny is surprised how quickly they end up in only their underwear, locked up tight and thrusting violently against each other. Steve’s resting his forearms on either side of Danny’s head as they move together and it’s worse because now he’s got nothing to look at but Steve’s stupid face. He knows he’s close and what’s worse is it’s not enough. Danny doesn’t want to finish in his briefs like a horny teenager. He wants to do this right. 

“Steve ‘m-“ 

“Yeah,” Steve agrees like he knows exactly what he’s trying to say before rolling off of him. 

Danny watches him go, sitting up and lying on his side, head pillowed on his hand as Steve reaches over to start rifling through his bedside drawer. He swallows heavily as he sees the muscles in Steve’s ass and thighs flex and when he glances down at his briefs he can see the wet patch from his pre-cum staring accusingly up at him. 

He grinds his palm against his cock, just to get some relief and when he looks up Steve’s grabbed lube and condoms and is just sitting on his feet watching him leisurely touch himself. “Come over here already,” Danny groans and Steve’s giving him that ridiculous, dopey smile that lifts only one side of his mouth and makes Danny’s chest hurt. 

Thankfully, Steve moves in pretty quickly and kisses him again. Danny has to admit he’s really enjoying his infuriating mouth a lot more than anticipated. He’s enjoying it a lot more when they both finally remove their underwear. Freedom after being confined for so long is incredible especially since he gets a good look at Steve as well. He’s definitely as proportionate as Danny thought and he very quickly realises he’d like to get his mouth on him. 

The expression on Steve’s face- which Danny suspects he’s mirroring- suggests another time. Neither of them can wait any longer. Steve stretches forward again, pushing their bodies together and the first skin-to-skin contact is unimaginable _good._

“What do you want?” Danny murmurs in between kisses. 

“You, Danny,” Steve says as if it’s the most simple thing in the world. 

“You’re a sap, you know that?” he tells him, but even he can’t ignore the warmth it brings. “Me or you?” 

“You ever-?” 

“Nothing past idle curiosity,” Danny admits, and he’s definitely never brought about an orgasm that way. “Have you?” 

“Yeah,” Steve says and he’s kissing along Danny’s throat. 

Danny has trouble swallowing for a second as he imagines it. Steve actually getting fucked by another faceless man in his past. It swirls oddly in his chest and Danny doesn’t know whether or not to feel jealous or aroused. He could fuck Steve, he wants to, but somehow he wants to share this first with him even more. He wants to try this and he trusts Steve to do it right, not to hurt him. There's no one else he trusts more, Danny trusts Steve with his life. 

“You should fuck me,” he offers. 

Steve goes still and stops what he’s doing, pulling back instantly to stare at him. “Danny are you sure, man?” he wonders. “We don’t have to. Not everyone likes it and I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“Hey guess what, this is me you’re talking to. Do you really think if I’m not enjoying myself that you’re not gonna hear about it?” 

“Right,” Steve says wryly. “How could I forget?” 

Then he’s uncapping the lube and spreading it across his fingers. Danny watches him silently, licking his lips as he strokes himself. The pleasure is still sitting tightly in his lower gut, ready to go off if he keeps up touching himself too long but the thought of coming all over himself before Steve can get near him is unacceptable. So he lets go and takes a breath to steady himself. 

Once Steve is ready, he’s moving in closer and grasping Danny’s cock as if he knows exactly how to make Danny’s life difficult. He hisses out a sharp breath at the foreign touch and nearly loses it altogether. It’s worse when Steve pumps him and uses his other hand to drift beneath his balls. Danny flinches and spits out a sharp, “fuck!” that has Steve stopping altogether. 

“You alright?” 

“Jesus, Steve. You couldn’t have warmed the lube a little?” 

Steve exhales a relieved noise, which shows he might be a little anxious about this whole thing (maybe even more so than Danny is) so Danny does his best to relax. Steve brings his fingers back and doesn’t do much but lightly rub his thumb against Danny’s hole. 

The sensation is strange. Different. But not bad. Steve’s patient and he stretches it out long enough that it becomes maddening so when his first finger slips through the ring of muscle, Danny almost doesn’t notice. 

The unfamiliarity of it keeps him quiet, lost in the sensation as Steve slowly inserts another finger. His body protests a little, Steve’s fingers are fairly big and there’s a sharp twinge of pain that greets him when he moves them apart. Danny reaches down and gets a hand around himself and the odd feeling spreads quickly into pleasure. 

“Hold on, baby,” Steve murmurs into the inside of Danny’s thigh and his fingers turn questing. 

“For what?” Danny retorts just as Steve presses up against a particular spot inside him. 

Lights nearly explode behind his eyelids. “Oh fuck,” he gasps. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck,_ Steve.” 

Steve laughs softly, pressing a kiss into Danny’s skin. “I guess you’re one of the ones who likes it then.” 

“Fuck, yes,” he agrees dazedly. “Do that again.” 

Steve obliges and lays Danny out flat in under two seconds. He’s a puddle of desire by then, that adding a third finger barely registers in amongst it. When Steve is stretching him out on four, slowly moving inside him, Danny gets a rhythm to match, meeting the small thrusts. He’s dropped his hold around his dick because he no longer trusts himself not to come when he’s this close to the edge. 

“Steve,” he groans. “You gotta do this now.” 

Steve leans up to reach Danny’s jaw, kissing along the skin there toward his ear. “How close are you?” he whispers and Danny groans, half heartedly smacking his shoulder. 

“I will literally kill you right now, you know that?” 

“Okay, okay,” Steve pacifies, slowly withdrawing his fingers. 

It’s even stranger without them. Danny feels emptier in a way as he watches Steve slick himself up, putting on the condom. Expectation floods through him as Steve crawls up his body, getting himself into position. The moment seems charged with anticipation. Danny really can't wait any longer. 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah, babe. Do it.” 

Steve presses his hand down onto Danny’s shoulder, anchoring himself as he pushes his cock up against his entrance. Danny concentrates on Steve’s face at the exact moment he pushes inside. He goes slow, allows Danny to adjust but Steve’s expression goes tense with worry and then relaxes in the span of a few seconds when Danny doesn’t speak or wince in pain. Too overwhelmed by what he’s feeling to speak. 

Steve feels huge inside him, but he’d bet anything going inside him for the first time would feel the same. No point boosting Steve’s ego anymore than he needs to. His erection hasn’t flagged too much in the meantime and Danny licks his lips again, watching Steve’s face. He shifts a little, getting used to the sensations, clenching around Steve and grinning when he curses and his muscles strain with the effort not to move. Danny thinks he might like that a lot. 

“Tell me when,” Steve murmurs unsteadily, caging Danny’s head in between his arms which are pressed into the mattress. 

Danny wants to kiss him again, but he doesn’t know if he can lean up yet to do it. So he compromises. 

“Get down here.” 

Steve’s grin is warm even with his pupils still blown to all hell, but he leans in easily enough, pressing their mouths together. Danny cradles his head as his other hand runs down Steve’s sweat slicked back, deepening the kiss and shifting minutely. The slight movement doesn't escape Steve's attention and knows what he’s doing straight away, always knows what Danny’s doing and he pulls back to stare at his face. 

“You ready?” 

“Yeah,” he breathes out, because this has gone on way too long without orgasms and Danny’s reached his limit. 

Steve pulls out gently and his first thrust is careful, testing the waters to be sure Danny can accommodate him. When he makes a garbled noise and pulls Steve in tighter, curling a leg around his hip, Steve seems to take that as a positive sign. 

His next thrust nearly moves Danny up the entire bed and he groans, rocking his hips back to meet him. Steve’s not quite hitting his prostate, but it still feels good. Unbelievably good. Danny wishes he’d tried this sooner. Steve sets up a good rhythm that stimulates Danny’s cock against the hard slab of Steve’s abs when he pistons his hips forward. 

It’s perfect. More than perfect. Danny wish he could come from this. 

But his knee is already protesting the angle he’s lying on, with his legs spread out and the pain is distracting from what he would much rather be paying attention to. 

“Here,” Steve says, notices like he always does and in the next second he’s pulling out and crawling up next to Danny before encouraging him onto his side so his leg is half straightened in a comfortable position beneath him. Steve gently turns Danny forward, lifting his other leg and pushing it toward his chest just as he slides back in. 

The angle is deeper, different and so much better. Steve hits Danny’s prostate on the first thrust and after that there isn’t much to it. They’ve both been on edge too long. Steve’s holding him in that perfect position, arm curling around Danny’s head because he’s still too fucking short always and the way he’s closer makes it easier to tilt his head back and kiss him. 

Danny comes like that a moment later, arched up on his side with Steve curled around him. His body ripples around Steve’s cock, which is hot and unrelenting inside him. The sensation makes his orgasm all the sweeter for it. Steve pushes his hips deeper with a sigh of bliss and his body locks up tight, balls pressed against Danny’s ass he’s so deep when he finally comes. Danny groans and collapses onto Steve’s outstretched forearm using it like a pillow as they both get their breaths back. 

“Your bed is definitely bigger,” Danny manages unsteadily. 

Steve’s body rumbles against him with breathless laughter. 

Danny closes his eyes tiredly and smiles.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Steve cleans them up with a military precision that is disturbing as it is impressive, but Danny’s not complaining when he gets to lie there unmoving throughout the entire thing. He’s sleepy and content and his ass feels tender like it’s had a good workout. Which it absolutely did. 

When Steve climbs back onto the bed once he’s done (he removed the sheets and everything like a proper clean freak) Danny groans a little in response as Steve immediately slots up against his back. 

“How do you feel?” Steve wonders, kissing along his jaw. Steve is much more affectionate than Danny was led to believe. 

“I’m good,” he asserts, pleased that it’s not a lie. “Not as bad as I thought.” 

Steve grins into his skin. “Next time-“ 

“Oh yeah,” Danny agrees, turning over to face him. “Next time I’m gonna get my hands all over you.” 

Steve’s arm curls across his hip to tug him close and it’s warm and relaxing when they tangle together, like sinking into soft sheets. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Steve promises. 

Danny seals it with a kiss. “So much better than couch orgasms.” 

Steve frowns like he’s thinking that over. “What are you talking about? You didn’t come on my couch.” 

Damn. That wasn’t something he’d planned on admitting. Danny sheepishly scratches at his chin. “When you called on Friday. I might have been in the middle of something.” 

Steve’s confusion turns suggestive as he gets a handful of Danny’s ass, pulling him in tighter. “So _that’s_ why you were so out of breath.” 

That’s ridiculous. Danny only called after he’d showered. Steve shouldn’t have been able to tell. “Everyone does it,” Danny argues. “If anything, I need it more often to relax since you’re such a stressful partner to work with.” 

Steve bites thoughtfully at his shoulder. “You don’t seem so stressed now. Wait, in the middle of- so when I called you, you were still-?” 

“No!” Danny objects, because he’s not that creepy. “You called just as I was close to finishing.” 

“I interrupted your orgasm?” Steve wonders incredulously as if he's expecting Danny to lecture him on it. Normally, he probably would but Steve more than made up for a little while ago so he's prepared to let it go. 

Danny scratches his chin again. “Well…” 

“Well what?” 

Danny sighs, sliding his fingers down Steve’s stomach. “You might have helped it along.” 

Steve’s getting more confused by the minute. “But you didn’t answer the first time I called. So... what you’re saying is- my name came up on your cell and that was enough to-“ 

Danny lets out a long suffering sigh and turns his head to stare at the ceiling. He shouldn’t have mentioned it. Steve’s never gonna let this go. This is way too much for his ego. 

“Jesus, Danny, that’s hot,” Steve gasps surprisingly, without a hint of smugness and he’s grasping Danny’s chin so that he can kiss him again. 

Danny startled, but gives as much as he’s got and when Steve pulls away to breathe, he tucks his arm underneath his head triumphantly at how unbalanced he sounds. 

They doze for a little while, before Steve drags Danny out of bed and disappointingly into a spare pair of his sweatpants as they both get dressed. Steve seems to like Danny in his clothes because they get distracted in the hallway and only make it to the kitchen once they’re flushed and out of breath, to wrestle some dinner together. It takes longer than it should have, mostly because they keep getting caught up in touching each other. The thrill of it hasn’t lessened even after sex and Danny knows keeping up professionalism at work is going to be a challenge. 

He can do it, though. Steve’s probably going to be a problem. As always. Danny’s willing to put up with it though because he’s a glutton for punishment. 

Steve gets him another beer and they end up eating dinner and drinking outside on the lawn chairs Steve’s set up on the edge of the sand, watching the water. The moon is out, dancing across the soft swells of the water opposite them and Danny can’t believe how much everything and nothing has changed. 

They argue over whether they should tell people yet- though the cat’s clearly out of the bag with the rest of the team- and Danny has to resists kissing Steve’s stupid face when he says he wants to tell Gracie first. Maybe Charlie too, if he’s not too young to understand it. 

They manage to decide on waiting a while, until they’re sure even though the both of them have a very loud discussion about how vehemently sure they are already (the neighbours definitely heard most of it) and Danny’s both irritated and happy. The usual Steve induced combination. 

It’s one of the best weekends he’s had without Grace in a long, long time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A phone ringing interrupts the sanctity of sleep and Danny groans offensively in Steve’s ear, trying to reach whoever’s cell phone it is and send it back to the depths of hell.

Steve seems to sense his destructive intentions and retrieves his phone to answer it. 

“McGarrett,” he announces and his voice sounds scratchy in sleep, and sure, Danny’s heard it before but he’s never been in the same bed with it and he finds he really likes the new change. 

He wraps his hands around Steve’s chest and presses his morning hard-on into Steve’s hip in welcome, relishing the way Steve’s grip falters on the phone. Danny’s close enough to recognise Chin’s voice but not hear what he’s saying. 

“No, I’m uh- taking the day off,” Steve replies as if that sentence alone won't bring up a thousand alarm bells. “Can you handle things without me?” 

Danny leans in and curiously puts his mouth on Steve’s nipple just to see what happens. The results are interesting to say the least, Steve stiffens, fingers burying deeply into his hair before tugging sharply and pulling Danny backwards. Jesus, _hair trigger._

“Steve!” he snarls unthinkingly, pushing his hips forward automatically at the sharpness of want stirring in his gut. He purses his lips together when Steve lets go of his hold in surprise, staring down at him with wide eyes before cautiously glancing at his cell. 

Danny sounds too close to be anywhere but in Steve’s bed especially since Steve sounds as if he just woke up. There goes any hopes of privacy. Danny sighs forlornly. The team is gonna have a field day about this. He can almost hear Chin slyly wondering if Danny will be coming in to work today either and tries to warn Steve not to make this any worse than it already is. 

“Danny?” Steve wonders innocently and even Chin can overhear the amusement in his voice. “Nah, he’s- sick.” 

He actually hears Chin laughing at them over the phone line. Jesus. Steve offers up his blinding, charming grin as a way of apology, shrugging his shoulder at him in a what-can-you-do kind of way. 

Danny punches him. In the arm, shockingly, Danny has the restraint of a _saint_ , before Steve is muttering a quick goodbye to Chin and hanging up. His first kiss tastes like an apology and Danny doesn't even care that they haven't brushed their teeth yet. 

It's good to just be here, laying in bed with Steve, filling each other's space. 

"Sorry, Danny," Steve murmurs into his mouth, but Danny smiles into it, bringing Steve's hand down lower, right where he's hard and needs it. 

He thinks he might have a way Steve can make it up to him. 

And Steve, well... 

He never disappoints.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can always find me [here](http://i-sveikata.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! (✿◠‿◠)


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